Bathurst year 12 students well prepared despite COVID-19 uncertainties

COVID-19 lockdown has left many students from across NSW learning from home, as well as causing many doubts about whether exams will go ahead.

But in Bathurst and many other regional areas, students are at school and studying in the most normal way possible.

Andrew Weeding, Deputy Head of Scots All Saints College, said year 12 students have shown a great amount of resilience during the pandemic.

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"In terms of resilience, students have been fantastic in the sense that they've felt the confidence of their teachers," he said.

"Regardless of what happens, they've been well prepared.

"The most important thing, especially in the circumstances we are under which is very different to what other jurisdictions are under, is a matter of keeping them level headed and keeping things as normal as possible."

Dean of Curriculum, Compliance and Analysis at St Stanislaus' College, Virginia Van Gend, said students are fortunate that they are based in regional areas.

"The boys think they're very fortunate that their school situation is as close to normal as it can be," she said.

"For us, the boys are at school as normal and have a normal timetable for their HSC trials.

"We want students to be a little bit worried because these exams are important, but their stress isn't because of COVID. We're lucky this year that we've had a fairly normal run into our trial window."

Bathurst High Campus principal Ken Barwick said students are "tracking really well" in terms of their commitment to class and their studying.

"They all seem to be incredibly focused and trying really hard," he said.

"We lost the most number of kids going from year 11 to 12 in any year I've been in education but the kids that have remained are becoming more positive. It's only six weeks away from the end of the term, with HSC trials starting next week."

MacKillop College principal Steve Muller said staff are helping students remain focused and remove any stress or anxiety that can happen in the lead up to exams.

"They've certainly been impacted," he said.

"Year 11 had a big impact on them, with the interruption to their learning and the uncertainty, but this year they're taking it in their stride.

Kelso High was contacted for comment.

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