Haileybury Pangea makes history
While most students across Victoria began their first day at school by jumping on a bus or being driven to school by their parents, Year 10 student Kate Wu, made history.
She put on her school uniform, sat at the desk in her bedroom in her Forest Hill home and logged on to her online class at Haileybury Pangea – Australia's first online school for students in Years 5 to 12.
Monday, 30th January was the inaugural day of Haileybury Pangea with students from across Victoria joining an online assembly, hosted by Haileybury CEO | Principal, Derek Scott, and Joanna Baker, Head of Haileybury Pangea.
Students then went to their online classrooms to tackle Maths, Humanities, Science or English. During lunchtime there was an opportunity to chat with each other and Ms Baker, before returning to online classrooms for the rest of the afternoon.
Kate, 15, is passionate about English, Chemistry and Latin and she also loves creating writing and playing the violin. Home-schooled by her parents since Prep, she is excited to be part of the first Pangea cohort. Her first day began with a Science class.
“I like the freedom of online learning. I can explore subjects more deeply at my own pace and I have more time available for other hobbies – when I was younger, I remember having lots of Lego time! I’ve been waiting for the first day of Haileybury Pangea to arrive and I’m excited to get to know my classmates and teachers,” says Kate.
Kate’s mum, Christine Wong, says the independence and freedom of online learning suit her daughter but belonging to a school community is an important reason why she enrolled Kate in Haileybury Pangea.
“As Kate grew older, we felt that homeschooling was no longer able to fully support her. We’re happy that Kate is beginning the next stage of her education in a way that suits her learning style – we couldn’t be more pleased,” says Ms Wong.
Haileybury is one of Australia’s leading private schools and Haileybury Pangea, which has been under development for five years, is now the school’s fifth campus. Ms Baker says there has been a lot of excitement among students, families and teachers as the first day approached.
“Students and teachers have been very excited about our first day of school - they have been waiting to start their first classes and to get to know each other better,” she says.
“Our students come from many different backgrounds – some have significant sporting careers, others are talented performing artists with demanding schedules, and others simply find this more personalised model of learning suits them better.
“Haileybury isn’t trying to replace traditional schools – it’s providing another choice. for young people and their families. Other schools across Australia are reaching out to us because they are keen to learn from what we are doing and how they can also innovate in this space. This is a new frontier for education in this country.”
In Greensborough, Year 12 student, Abdullah Syed, also logged on for his first day at Haileybury Pangea. During COVID-19 lockdowns he discovered a preference for online learning and he is looking forward to completing his final year of high school from the comfort of the study space in his bedroom.
Abdullah’s favourite subjects are Mathematical Methods, Chemistry and Physics and he hopes to study Medicine. He will balance his online studies with playing cricket and volunteering for the CFA.
“If remote learning during COVID taught me anything, it’s that I am much more productive in an online setting than in the traditional school environment,” says the 17-year-old.
“I feel this is a good way for me to make the most of my time during Year 12. I hope to achieve the best possible results this year and along the way I’d like to make friends with some like-minded students who are sharing this journey with me.”
Abdullah’s mother, Sabeeha Jabeen, teaches VCE and the International Baccalaureate in a Melbourne school but says Haileybury Pangea is a better fit for her son.
“Abdullah is very driven and focused on outcomes. He’s an innovative learner who likes to use his time wisely,” says Ms Jabeen.
“As the first day approached, Abdullah has planned how he wants his school day to look – he also enjoys playing cricket and swimming and so he has established a routine ready for the school year ahead. Haileybury Pangea enables Abdullah to sharpen his strengths, make the best use of his time and belong to a successful community of learners under the guidance of a school with an impressive track record.”
For more information about Haileybury Pangea or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Sarah Marinos
sarah.marinos@haileybury.vic.edu.au
Phone: 0418 550 357
or
Lisa Pititto
lisa.pititto@haileybury.vic.edu.au
Phone: 0412 311 320
