What happens if boarding schools close because of the Coronavirus?

We are already aware of many schools closing due to the Coronavirus. It is no longer just China and Hong Kong that is taking precautions; we also see entire countries have closed down, so what happens if boarding schools close because of the Coronavirus and you live miles away?

The latest communication from the schools is that they have a contingency plan in place if the schools close down. It would be an inconvenience for most parents who are living in the same country as their children if they are working full-time themselves, but what happens when schools close down for overseas students at boarding schools?

What plan have we put in place?

Well, we have currently altered all our travels at the moment, with the school strongly advising no international travel for students. Which for us, isn’t too much of an issue, it just means I will go home to the kids instead of the children coming to us. Moving forward, the only real problem we will face right now is if I go “will I be stuck there?” and “will my husband be able to join us for Easter?”.

With my husband having very little time with the children, special times like Easter, mean a lot to us as a family. Every little bit of time is precious in the environment we live in, and because we are heading into unknown territory, we aren’t sure what this will mean in the future.

What are boarding schools doing so far?

So what are boarding schools doing so far; well we have seen camps postponed, excursions rescheduled for now and potential cancellation of major school sporting events which will be challenging to reschedule for schools and the year 12 students in particular.

Communication has been coming to us frequently, so we are always aware of the situation at hand. I believe the kids from the country have a plan in place with day students, guardians and family members in arms reach. So I think they’re doing the best they can with the information that is coming there way.

Some say that Australia is overreacting, but Australia hasn’t hit winter yet when the regular Flu season is ripe! So it is more about precautions than it is about fixing a problem, so I understand their concern. So the question is “when should I go back to Australia?”, do I stay on track and hope that no restrictions are in place from Singapore? Or do I bite the bullet and head home ASAP? Should I be worried? Or take it in my stride?