Off to Flying Start

Jack Dunbar and Connor Tweedie are looking forward to their first year of high school. Picture: MEGAN WILSON

By MEGAN WILSON

MOST 12-year-olds would be worried about starting high school a year earlier, but not Sunshine Beach State High students Jack Dunbar and Connor Tweedie, who said they enjoyed their first week of high school.
Jack and Connor are just two of the 80,000 Year 7 students who are now attending high school a year earlier as part of the Queensland Flying Start education reforms.
The reforms, rolled out in 2015, will see high school start at Year 7, bringing Queensland into line with most other states.
Jack said the move to high school had been good, with a newfound level of independence.
“It’s been good, it’s been like a different experience and much better than primary school,” Jack said.
When asked about the best part of high school, the boys said independence and subject diversity topped the list.
“I really like how there’s so much more subject choice than primary school. It’s just like an upgrade. I really love it,” Connor said.
The boys said there was nothing they didn’t love about being in high school a year earlier – even being the youngest at school didn’t bother them.
“A bunch of the older kids are still pretty small, so I’m fine about that,” Jack said.
Jack and Connor both said they felt ready for high school and were excited for the year ahead.