Students at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College rise to challenge posed by COVID-19

Student attendance at government schools in Alice Springs dropped by 17 per cent on day one of Term 2 on Monday, according to preliminary data released by Northern Territory Minister for Education, Selena Uibo.

Student attendance at government schools in Alice Springs dropped by 17 per cent on day one of Term 2 on Monday. Picture: SUPPLIED

Student attendance at government schools in Alice Springs dropped by 17 per cent on day one of Term 2 on Monday, according to preliminary data released by Northern Territory Minister for Education, Selena Uibo.

The drop was consistent with attendance at government schools across the Territory when compared with the same time last year (pre-pandemic), while teacher attendance remained on par with previous years – at 90 per cent.

With parents afforded the choice of sending their children to school or keeping them at home in the latter half of Term 1, the Territory Government made physical attendance at school compulsory from April 20.

Paul Melloy - Principal at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College. Photo: EMMA MURRAY.

A survey conducted earlier in the week by Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College in Alice Springs found almost two-thirds (64.73 per cent) of the 481 parents who responded prefaced face-to-face education over online learning.

Speaking to the Centralian Advocate, Principal Paul Melloy said the College would begin to lean more so towards on-campus learning as of Monday.

“At the moment we have 40 per cent of our students learning at school and 60 per cent online,” he explained.

“At the end of Term 1, we had 80 per cent online and 20 per cent at school.

“Our Year 12’s are back in the highest numbers and it’s fantastic to see them at school – they know it’s an important year for them and they are working very well.”

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Describing the commitment of College staff as “huge,” Principal Melloy said Google Classroom and Zoom had facilitated student learning to ensure no child fell behind.

“If anything has come of this experience, it’s that our students have learnt invaluable online skills and proven how resilient and flexible they are,” he said.