5
Robin Fletcher Chief Executive BSA and BSA Group
Fearless fortitude It was FDR who helpfully reminded
90 per cent of their boarders, with
The resilience, fortitude, imagination,
fear is fear itself. Those are pretty
deferring their return.
BSA member schools throughout this
us that the only thing we have to
useful words for boarding schools
only seven per cent delaying or
and their staff in what is
So, having got students back, the
challenging and extraordinary year
to arrive each day, mainly concerning
continuing to be the most
in the history of boarding.
When we all became aware of COVID19 in February, the boarding
conversation soon turned to cases,
public health advice, sending students home, closing schools, learning
through lockdown, government rules,
challenges since then have continued again cases and testing and self-
overseas would not send their sons or daughters back to school. And yet,
come September, most schools in the
UK at least welcomed back more than
school medical staff.
normal as soon as possible. But that
or getting the right certificates to go back home without having to quarantine on arrival.
marathon run at a sprint. Timely it
scenario parents from the UK or
care shown by heroic boarding and
term, or safely staying with guardians,
students staying at school in half
quarantining returning pupils. others, was that in the worst-case
enormous levels of genuine pastoral
Everyone is exhausted, everyone
Make no mistake, boarding schools,
The existential fear, among all the
year has been matched only by the
isolation and local lockdowns and
discounted fees, partial reopening, planning for the autumn and
tenacity and adaptability shown by
would like everything to get back to
day is not here yet and we have yet to see the prime minister announce the
end of the war to jubilant crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
like the whole world, are involved in a
Until then we must all continue to grin
might be that 2020 is the 80th
without fear, and with whatever
anniversary of Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, but that’s little comfort if
your school is facing the public health equivalent of trying to evacuate a
narrow beach under enemy attack or
scrambling to tackle bandits in the sky at 12 o’clock.
and bear it for however long it takes – support BSA, Sacpa and BAISIS can provide along the way.
