School stars are ready for new show

Redlynch graduates to get a guard of honour as 2017 group eyes tertiary studies, vocational education or the jobs market

TA-DA. School life comes to an end today for about 3000 FNQ Year 12 students like (from left) Ella Cohen, 16, Cairns SHS, Donoven Allen, 17, Woree SHS, Tia Lelliott, 17, Redlynch SHS and Katie Pozzi, 17, TAS. With the countdown on to the final bell they open up about life after school.

MORE than 3000 Far North Queensland students will head to school for the last time today filled with mixed emotions.

After more than a decade of schooling, adult life, including tertiary study, work or a gap year, now awaits the region’s Year 12 students.

Data from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority showed the number of students who have completed Year 12 this year was stable compared to previous years.

A QCAA spokesman said students in Far North Queensland made up about 6 per cent of Queensland’s 52,658 Year 12 graduates.

Redlynch State College executive principal Tony Fuller said a graduation ceremony today would be emotional for the school’s 167 Year 12 students.

Students from Prep to Year 11 formed a guard of honour to acknowledge the students.

“I am very proud of this year’s graduates and wish to acknowledge their outstanding academic and cultural achievements,” Mr Fuller said.

“As the door closes on their secondary schooling another one opens for employment and higher education opportunities. I know many of our students have their future pathway clearly mapped out and I wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”

Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson also wished the graduating class of 2017 well in their future endeavours.

He said results from successive Next Step surveys of Queensland Year 12 graduates confirmed the majority of school leavers would head into either further education, training or employment (86 per cent) six months after finishing school.

Studying for a bachelor degree remained the most popular destination, accounting for 39.3 per cent of Year 12 graduates who finished school in 2016, followed by full or parttime employment (27.3 per cent) and vocational education and training (19.4 per cent).

Eligible Year 12s can now access individual Queensland Core Skills Test grades, from their QCAA learning accounts.

All students will be able to access their final senior results, including Overall Position scores online from December 16.