Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Staff,

I was deeply concerned to hear in the media last week that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) had warned of long lasting impacts on students in terms of their future opportunities due to remote learning. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that “A generation of young people is at risk of being channelled into low-skilled and low paying jobs, with disrupted learning through the coronavirus pandemic exacerbating socio-economic fault lines in Australia’s education system”. The article then went on to say that “Research from the OECD said home-schooling and greater dependence on virtual classrooms during COVID-19 would probably have a long-lasting impact that would disproportionately affect poorer students”.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has had an impact on schools and I certainly agree with the premise that poorer students will be disadvantaged the most. No surprises here – poorer students along with poorer adults almost always have less opportunities than those from wealthier backgrounds. Some educationists in Australia even talk about the correlation between literacy levels and postcodes. It would be nice to deal with this issue regardless of COVID-19 – along with many other issues in Australian education including indigenous literacy levels. However, at the end of the day all we can do in response to COVID-19 is to find a way to move forward. To do this we need to set up our students for success and not weigh them down with doomsday like prophecies about low paid jobs. We need to make sure that all of our students in Australia feel hopeful and confident in their ability to navigate the future ahead of them.

I have certainly enjoyed my time here at Sacred Heart and I am grateful for the warmth and hospitality which has been extended towards me during the past 8 weeks. I wish each and every one of you every blessing for the remainder of the school year.

With best wishes,

Steve Conlon

Acting Principal