Observer/Zinc headlines May 21
NEXT year, Toolooa State High School will become one of 20 schools throughout Queensland trialling Year 7 in its school, before it goes mainstream in 2015.
There has been a positive response to the trial with enrolments flooding in.
As the parent of a child in Year 6, I've been thinking about whether I'd send my daughter to high school next year and my gut reaction is a resounding "No".
I know that it will happen eventually in a few years time and there have to be some schools to run a trial, but I'm not sure if I want my child to be part of it.
For me, the concerns are totally me being an overprotective Mum.
My daughter is on the shorter side of some of her peers and when I imagine her at high school I think she's just too small.
One of my work colleagues also pointed out that kids going to Year 7 next year will miss out on being "top dog" so to speak at school.
They'll miss out on the chance to be school captain in Year 7 and in years to come this will shift to Year 6 students.
The Year 7 students will be at the "bottom of the heap" at high school, which is a tough place to be when you are at a new school and trying to find your feet.
Of course there are some kids who will thrive in the high school environment in Year 7, but understandably there will be some who struggle.
I know I did when I started high school.
Older kids can be pretty mean.
I suspect that if I was to send my daughter to Year 7 next year, she would probably love the challenge that it presented.
But for now, I am happy to be the Mum that doesn't want her 11-year-old going to high school next year because I think it might be scary.
