Year 7 comes to an end in SA primary schools

On the final school day of the year, year 7s aren’t just moving to high school – the entire year level is departing SA primary schools. And it meant $1.4bn was spent.

School’s out for the year on Friday, and year 7s are out of primary school for good.

Marking the end of the era, twin groups of 28,000 public school year 6s and 7s will return as secondary school students next year.

“From 2022, South Australia will step into line with the rest of the country,” Education Minister John Gardner said.

The transition will also affect 167 teachers at primary-only schools who will jump to secondary levels and 500 temporary teachers who have secured permanent jobs in secondary schools.

“It is a really important moment for us because it means our year 7 students will be taught by specialist teachers in specialist facilities, giving them access to the Australian curriculum as it was designed to be delivered,” Mr Gardner said.

Much of the government’s $1.4bn investment in schools has been spent on increasing capacity and modernising facilities at secondary schools for the extra students.

Opposition education spokesman Blair Boyer was sceptical about schools being fully ready, following “underfunding and delays”.

Goodwood Primary teacher Diane Toole with year 7 students Ivy, 12, Lilia, 12, Hamish, 13, and Lachie, 13. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“The sad fact is some SA students will spend their first year at high school in transportable buildings,” he said.

Australian Education Union SA president Lara Golding said there were “still concerns about staff shortages for the start of next year, particularly in rural, remote and hard-to-staff areas”.

At one of SA’s oldest schools, 1879-founded Goodwood Primary, principal Belinda Adams said the end of the era brought mixed emotions for the community.

“But they’re really ready to go,” she said.

Goodwood teacher Diane Toole is among those making the move, going to Adelaide High School to teach English.

“I will miss the younger kids and I’ve really loved watching kids grow up from Reception to the end of primary,” she said. “But I’m also looking forward to working with new people.”

Year 7 student Lachie, 13, is going to Adelaide Botanic High. He had two transition days there and was impressed by the facilities and range of subjects.

Hamish, 13, is off to Glenunga International High where he’s hoping to learn science and tech “but I’m a bit worried about the extra homework”.

Ivy, 12, who will go to Unley High School, said she was looking forward to making new friends.

Lilia, 12, will also be at Unley, where she hopes to develop her interest in cooking by studying food tech.

Most independent and Catholic schools already have year 7 as a secondary level.

The remaining Lutheran primary schools which went to year 7 will now follow the government model.

An Education Department spokeswoman said 33 students from four remote primary schools had been given an exemption to stay at primary for year 7 because of travel issues.