Saint Stephen’s College Gold Coast live streams classes for students stuck in quarantine

A Gold Coast school has found an innovative way to help students stuck in mandatory isolation.

STUCK in mandatory isolation for over a week, Gold Coast student Selina Hao has missed out on plenty of things – just not her homework.

A senior student at Saint Stephen’s College, Ms Hao is one of many hundreds of people across the city in novel coronavirus quarantine at home after returning from China and Hong Kong in the past 14 days.

But the Year 12 student says despite having to remain in her bedroom, she still feels like she is back in class thanks to a hi-tech workaround by Saint Stephen’s College.

“Saint Stephen’s has set up a program which allows me to participate in my classes live and online,” Ms Hao said yesterday.

Through a new live streaming service, the school has given quarantined students the chance to “login’’ to their classrooms and communicate via audio, video and text with the class around them.

Students at Saint Stephens College are live streaming into their classes as part of coronavirus quarantine measures. Student Zarita Li streaming into the classroom. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Students still caught in a different time zone have the option to stream their lessons later.

Ms Hao, who hopes to work in economics, said the online option had been a saving grace.

“I was very worried about my studies when I heard about the quarantine but the school has helped so much,” she said.

“I can discuss topics with my teachers face-to-face to develop further understanding of the content and ask questions. I can also make an appointment with the teachers.”

With family still in the north of China, Ms Hao said she had been keeping a close watch on news reports and counting down her isolation end date.

“It is Tuesday and I can’t wait. I miss fresh air so much,” she said.

College principal Kim Cohen said the school was live streaming lessons within 24 hours of the government announcing mandatory home quarantine.

“Many of our isolated students are seniors, facing impending assessment in the most important years of their schooling,” Ms Cohen said.

“This is a great learning resource for students who can’t be in the classroom, as well as those who were there but need to revise.”

The school’s student population comes from 44 countries of origin.

Saint Stephen’s College does not have any cases of students with symptoms of the virus.