Big interest as high school extends

Five of the first Year 11 students featured in the Mercury
during the week.

MUCH attention was focused on New Norfolk High School this week as the first cohort of Year 11 students was enrolled. NNHS is one of 13 government high schools which have now been extended to offer senior secondary classes.

News crews followed Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff to New Norfolk on Wednesday, where he spoke to some of the students who opted to stay on at NNHS for Year 11 rather than enrol at Claremont College.

Mr Rockliff said NNHS was among six high schools extending to Year 11 in 2016. "Talking with the students at New Norfolk today it is clear that having this opportunity to stay at their high school in their local community has encouraged them to continue their education," Mr Rockliff said.

NNHS is extending to Years 11 and 12 in partnership with Glenora District School and Claremont College. Mr Rockliff said the intention of extending high schools to include senior secondary education was aimed at removing the perception that Tasmanian schooling finishes at Grade 10.

For New Norfolk, the change will be seen as a landmark year in the history of the school which opened as a "Modern School" for Grade 7-9 students in 1954 and was extended to a High School for Grades 7-10 in 1956. It took 60 years for the introduction of Year 11 classes and Year 12 will follow in 2017.

While 15 of last year's Grade 10 students have opted to stay at NNHS for Year 11, it is understood that a larger number chose to proceed to Claremont College. Those continuing at New Norfolk will generally study at NNHS for three days each week and then travel to Claremont College for additional subjects.

Despite this increase in the number of students and classes at NNHS, permission was recently granted for the demolition of the original parts of the school, dating to 1954.