Queen Margaret College’s Principal Jayne-Ann Young talks about how schools are navigating their way through education during Covid times.

It’s been a difficult couple of years for everyone, although the struggles that perhaps go the most unnoticed are those of our youth. Adapting to an era where social interactions are limited, and where the regular routine of school has been disrupted cannot be easy for kids. Principal Young shares;

“One of the biggest messages we can have for kids is don’t worry about it, keep finding your pathway, keep taking opportunities, keep saying yes and explore.”

It’s not only kids though that are struggling to find their feet in this new system of education. This is uncharted territory for teachers as well, who are doing their best to innovate and adapt.

“There is no rule book for this. There is no leadership book that tells us how we operate in a Covid time.”

The shift to online, at-home learning has called for a higher level of self-motivation for students, as they no longer have the push of a teacher’s presence.

“We’ve got to get realistic about what the kids can do and one of the things that we’ve really pressed home here is about agency, so kids have to own their learning.”

While the future is still uncertain, it’s comforting to know that the leaders in education are rapidly adjusting to schooling in the current climate, and constantly improving on new ways to support their students.