The impending switch of year seven to high school next year comes with its own set of problems for children living remotely, with a number of issues raised at Friday's Isolated Children's Parents' Association annual SA state conference in Port Augusta.
Most remotely-based children complete their primary school education via School Of The Air, with many attending boarding schools for their secondary schooling. From 2022-2024, SOTA has been granted an exemption from the year seven change, but a number of ICPA members raised concerns about having to send children to boarding school a year earlier, upon the cessation of the exemption period.
On behalf of Marla-Oodnadatta branch, North East branch member Penny Rasheed, Koonamore Station, via Yunta, read a motion to "enable SOTA students completing year seven to remain eligible to enrol through Port Augusta SOTA beyond the current exemption period."
North West branch member Petie Rankin, The Twins Station, via Glendambo, advocated for the motion.
"I've got four children, two will miss this (year seven switch to high school), and two won't, but I know of other families who have four children who won't - financially, that leads to an extra $160,000 to find if they all have to go to boarding school one year earlier," she said.
"Financially, it's massive, but emotionally for our kids, that's a huge thing to be sending them away that young."
SOTA can't be out of step forever.
- JANE GLOSTER
Flinders Ranges branch member Lisa Slade, Moolooloo and Moorillah Stations, via Blinman, agreed that sending 11-year-olds away would be extremely tough.
"When kids go to boarding school, they aren't used to the things which are second-nature to other kids, and a student as young as 11 may not be ready for it, so having that choice for a SOTA exemption would be really worthwhile," she said.
Despite the motion eventually being carried, support was not unanimous.
While Ms Rankin suggested the exemption should be permanent, Marree Air branch member Lisa Edwards, Muloorina Station, said there had to be a cut-off point.
"If the state has made year seven high school, are our kids going to end up behind because they don't go to high school in year seven like everyone else?" she said.
"Someone, somewhere, sometime is going to have to send their child off at 11," she said.
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Westminster School principal Simon Shepherd said consistency across the country was vital.
"SA is now the only state where high school starts in year eight, we need to try to push for national consistency for the sake of every child," he said.
ICPA federal life member Jane Gloster, Roxby Downs, was against pushing for an extended SOTA exemption.
"We are underestimating children's resilience," she said.
"Yes, it is hard for children and parents alike, no one is saying it isn't, but if you look at families in far west NSW who have been sending their kids to boarding school at the end of year six for eons, the kids have all socially adapted and they've managed.
"SOTA can't be out of step forever."
Open Access College principal Julie Taylor explained that SOTA students were technically OAC enrollments, and the option remained for students to study through OAC in year seven before leaving for boarding school in year eight.
But some members said a switch from SOTA, to OAC, to boarding school, would be a big "emotional load" for children at such a young age.
Marree Air branch member Anne Morphett, Callanna Station, said sending children to boarding school when everyone else was also starting high school would help boarders to feel less like "the new kids".
"If students are kept home in year seven, they don't join their peer group until after friendships have already been formed," she said.
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