Students return to classrooms

ATTENDANCE rates at Gold Coast’s state schools have bounced back to pre-coronavirus figures, with more than 90 per cent of students back in the classroom yesterday.

The office of Education Minister Grace Grace said this compares to attendance figures on the corresponding day of term 1.

The daily average attendance rate for 2019 was 90.5 per cent.

Across Queensland, more than 512,000 state school students returned yesterday after spending the first five weeks of Term 2 learning at home.

About 128,000 independent students also went back to school yesterday.

Ms Grace said with the return to more traditional classroom learning, students and parents would notice a number of changes from the school gate to the playground.

“We’ve taken extraordinary measures to ensure the health and safety of everyone attending schools, including strict hygiene practices and increased cleaning of classrooms and play equipment. We also have a range of resources available to support the wellbeing and mental health of staff and students as they return to school.”

Emmanuel College in Carrara treated students to a live music show from four teachers, with kids dancing and singing their way back into the school gate.

Staff lined the entry holding balloons and signs as parents dropped their children off from the road.

Junior school chaplain Rod Newth was on bass guitar and vocals with three of his colleagues and said the makeshift band wanted to reduce anxiety in returning students.