That seems to be the question on the lips of many.

And the answer varies, depending on who you talk to.

The Southern Highlands News has reached out to a few Highlands families to seek their thoughts on the matter and will share those responses in a series of stories.

However, it has become clear that the current school restrictions can vary greatly, even within a single family.

Under NSW regulations homeschooling is encouraged although schools are still open for essential workers and children at risk.

A staged return to school for two days a week from May 11 is also in the pipeline.

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We've aimed to source a mix of schooling circumstances to find out just how people of the Highlands are coping.

We begin with a family with one child in a local Catholic school and another child who would usually attend and live onsite at an out-of-area boarding school.

Kelly and Andrew Corby of Mittagong have two daughters who would usually attend different schools.

Jemmason is a Year 7 student at Chevalier College while Abi is a Year 10 boarder at Yanco Agricultural College in the NSW Riverina.

However, both have been home schooled since March 25 and they are embracing new opportunities and interests.

Kelly said Jemmason was "thriving with homeschooling and the system Chev has in place."

"Abi can't return until June 9 as she's at a boarding school and the system is considerably different due to the close contact and logistics of boarding schools," she said.

There are definitely things about a "normal school life" that are missed.

Kelly said sport was at the top of the list.

"Especially with Chevalier College, as they have such a sporting culture at the school," she said.

"For Abi, it's her friends at school - after boarding they are all a lot closer," she said

However, the benefits of homeschooling are also appreciated by the family.

"The girls both get so much more one-on-one help," she said.

"We have also been doing a lot more things together as a family, like bike riding and bushwalking.

"Abi has discovered a love for sewing, which was unfounded prior to Covid."

Kelly said she could see the logic behind the government's decision to a staged return to school.

"For us, as Chev has such a great online learning plan in place, I'd be happy to keep homeschooling until we have a vaccine or zero cases in NSW," she said.

"For boarding schools, I think they should have left the children in the safer sanctuary of the school.

"Abi's school is especially remote and they could've put in some more restrictions to make them safe. Having said that, no-one knew how to deal with this.

"I have faith that our government's decision has our children's and society's best interests at heart."

Kelly is quick to point out that dealing with the current educational restrictions would vary from one family to the next, depending on various circumstances.

"We have space to move around being on five acres and I often find myself thinking about people with small children stuck in units, apartments and being locked down in cities," she said.

"I feel we are exceptionally lucky."