STUDENTS at James Fallon High School undertaking their first HSC exam were evacuated on Monday afternoon after a bomb hoax.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The North Albury campus was locked down and searched by police after an anonymous caller phoned the school.
Year 12 students were completing their HSC English exam, which was due to finish at 12.30pm.
After police were satisfied there was no threat, students could complete the last 20 minutes of their exam.
Detective Inspector Winston Woodward, from Albury Police, said the perpetrator had committed a serious offence in staging the hoax.
“Just before midday James Fallon High School received a call from an anonymous person, which was in relation to a bomb hoax,” Detective Inspector Woodward said.
“Police attended the school, spoke to the principal and, as a safety precaution, evacuated the school and conducted a search of the grounds.
“Nothing suspicious was located and students were allowed to return to their school duties.
“We believe the call could have come from locally.
“We believe it to be a hoax, there was no danger to the children themselves, but we believe it could coincide with the start of HSC exams.”
Year 12 students were left outside their exam room for more than an hour as police conducted their search of the school.
The school contacted the NSW Education Standards Authority, who advised them that the students should complete the remainder of their allotted exam time.
The Border Mail spoke to one of the affected students, who said the hoax not only was a distraction in Monday's exam, but cut into time the students would have spent preparing for other exams as well.
“We were stuck outside for more than an hour, it was pretty hot and we didn't have our water bottles or anything because we had to leave them in the exam room,” she said.
“We heard the lockdown bell and I looked to the person next to me, we gave each other a look about how weird it was.
“It kept going and going until the principal came in and told us it was serious, that we'd have to go to our evacuation areas.
“The deputy principal said they would be applying everyone in the exam for an illness/misadventure provision. It was a bit difficult going back in after such a big distraction.”
