High school students return to classrooms across the state

Year 7-10 students will today join primary and college students back in classrooms as coronavirus restrictions continue to ease. See the latest attendance figures >>

ALL TASMANIAN students will be back in classrooms across the state from today as coronavirus restrictions continue to ease.

Primary and college students at government schools returned on May 25, with high school students returning today as part of the State Government’s staged approach.

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Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the return of primary and college students into the classroom had been “terrific”, and he knew that teachers and schools were looking forward to now welcoming high school students back.

“I want to acknowledge the work of our high school students in maintaining focus on their studies during this period, and to thank parents and carers for helping them to do this,” he said.

Keala Hayes, 14, and Estella Manson, 13, will head back to Fahan School today. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Attendance figures from the Department of Education show that for primary schools across the state, 90.1 per cent of students attended school in the week beginning May 25.

About a quarter of Year 11 and 12 students were not attending school, with the attendance rates sitting at 76.2 per cent.

The average attendance rates for high school students in the week of May 25 show about a quarter of students were learning from school, with those learning at home making up 70.9 per cent.

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Attendance rates have risen extensively since Easter, when attendance fell to about 7 per cent following advice to keep children home.

Grade 7 Fahan student Estella Manson, 13, said the start to her high school journey had been an interesting one.

Though she had enjoyed parts of learning from home, she said she was keen to head back to campus.

“It’s actually been quite good. I've been getting quite a bit of work done,” she said.

“I found it really nice to just be at my own desk and not have to go anywhere. But I prefer to be in the classroom. Seeing our teachers on Zoom every day was nice, but it was sad not seeing them in person.”

She said it would be strange heading back after months of learning from home: “It’s going to be a bit weird but I'm very excited. It’s going to be really nice to see my friends.”

Check out the education feature in today’s digital print edition or pick up a copy of the paper.

GHD associate and geotechnical and pavement engineer, Kate McIntosh, has been working from home and helping her son Miles, 13, with school work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

Family bonding a perk of lockdown

A Hobart engineer has described the positives of working from home during the pandemic, with the extra time spent with family something she’ll miss as restrictions ease.

Kate McIntosh, GHD associate and geotechnical and pavement engineer, said her family had settled into a “new normal" over the past three months.

Ms McIntosh and her husband, James, both worked full time and assisted their sons — Sean, 10, and Miles, 13 — as they learned online.

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Sean had already returned to his Grade 5 Hutchins class, but Miles returned back to school to continue his Grade 8 education on Tuesday.

“We’ve actually really enjoyed the time together. It’s going to be a quiet house now,” Ms McIntosh said.

“Where I normally work three long days at GHD in Salamanca, I have been able to spread my work over the week, and find time after 3.30pm to do something active with the boys, such as kick the soccer ball or go for a walk.”

As she continued to work from home, she hoped to continue spending more time with the family.

“For me, there have been more pluses than negatives,” she said.