South Australian Schools Hit 90 Percent Attendance

South Australian Schools Hit 90 Percent Attendance
Jess Trengove welcomed by students Jamie Phillips and Caitlin Mitchell during the Commonwealth Games Schools Assembly at Pennington Primary School on February 14, 2018 in Adelaide, Australia. (Mark Brake/Getty Images)
AAP
By AAP
5/13/2020
Updated:
5/13/2020

For the first time in term two, more than 90 percent of South Australian students have embraced face-to-face learning and attended schools amid COVID-19.

The numbers have increased from 64 percent when school returned two weeks ago.

In the final week of term one, only 34 per cent of students were in the classrooms.

Premier Steven Marshall said only about four percent of students were still learning from home, based on numbers done on May 12.

“This compares with some states where they only have three or four percent of students studying in schools so I know our students will benefit from having that face-to-face education,” he said.

Education Minister John Gardner said he was pleased with the results for state schools.

He said Catholic and non-government schools had reported similar or even higher attendance levels.

“This puts our students in the box seat to get the best education opportunities this year,” he said.

“We know schools are the best environments for our children and young people for their learning, wellbeing and social opportunities.”

Gardner said like Western Australia and the Northern Territory, the state government stood firm on its position, based on health advice, that schools were safe and children should attend.

He said the percentage of attendance in WA schools was in the 80s while in the NT it was in the 70s.

“It’s a credit to SA teachers who’ve done a great job adjusting to an at-home learning environment when that appeared to be a likely necessity and now they’ve adjusted back in our schools, offering a face-to-face learning environment,” the minister said.

“It’s enabling teaching and learning to be offered in a much more regular way which is great news for our students.”

Adelaide