Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Goldstein school community should be proud of the resilience they've shown throughout the obstacles thrown at them by COVID-19. It's been a tough year for students. This year, students have been confined to their homes, separated from friends and extracurricular activities like sport, art, and music, and forced to miss school camps like the Grade 6 trips to Canberra. Students deserve congratulations for persisting with their studies despite the challenges of remote learning. Though they may be physically separated, Goldstein's teachers have stepped up as well and showcased their resourcefulness and adapted with technology. Having spoken virtually with classes from Firbank, St Joseph's Primary School, BGS, Bentleigh West Primary, McKinnon Sec, Leibler Yavneh, Haileybury, Kilvington, Sandy College and Star of the Sea, I've seen at firsthand just how hard teachers are working to feed hungry young minds. Thank you also to the students, the teachers and the parents of Beaumaris, Beaumaris North, Black Rock, Brighton, Brighton Beach, Caulfield, Caulfield South, Cheltenham, Elsternwick, Gardenvale, Hampton, Katandra, McKinnon, Ormond, Sandy, Sandy East, Sacred Heart, St Agnes', St Finbar's, St James's, St Joan of Arc's, St Kevin's, St Mary's, St Paul's, Stella Maris and Wesley College, as well as Beaumaris Secondary, Berendale, Brighton Sec, Melbourne Montessori, old St Leonard's and Xavier.

The classroom has been replaced with the living room. Parents have had to take on new roles while balancing work and other parenting duties. I know this is the story across the whole state. So thank you to the parents that have been called on to guide remote learning throughout 2020. It's been tough and you've stepped up too, particularly to support young residents so they don't have an interruption in their schooling year. Of course, it's truly unfortunate that our year 12s have missed many of the rites of passage which we all cherish as part of our development and for the rest of our lives. So, for those year 12 students in the Goldstein community—and also the year 11 ones coming up—we wish you well in your forthcoming exams. You've conquered greater odds than any cohort in living memory. You've shown resilience and strength at a difficult time and adapted, often missing the companionship and support of your friends as well as your teachers. You should be really proud of what you've achieved. Frankly, I think it's harder than anything that a lot of people in this chamber, or your parents, have had to experience, so thank you. To all the people in the Goldstein community who have been part of the education journey this year, thank you. It's a testament to the strength of our community and how much we support each other that we've been able to guide these young minds. Hopefully they will have continued success as they enter into tertiary education, apprenticeships and work. Congratulations.

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