CAPE Clear Primary School may be breeding some of the most intelligent children in the region.
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With just six pupils enrolled this year, the quaint country school is one of the smallest in Victoria and the smallest in the region.
While other primary schools around the country struggle with oversize classes controlled by one teacher, Cape Clear has an almost one-on-one student to teacher ratio. As the new principal, Sam Irwin, said on Friday, a small school such as Cape Clear offered some of the best education going around.
“The kids here receive fantastic attention, along with technology and new ideas which any school would be proud of,” Mr Irwin said.
“The attention they get, which is almost one on one on some days, compared to being in a class of 25 or 30 ... well you just can’t beat that.”
With just five boys and one girl, teachers work with all six every day, with the group treated as one class.
Currently, there is one boy in grade prep, one in grade two, one in grade three, one in grade four and a girl and boy in grade six.
On the technology front, the school is well equipped, with iPads for each student, computers and interactive whiteboards.
When The Courier visited the school on Friday, pupils watched eagerly as an interactive Chinese lesson took place, with each child leaving the room with a traditional Chinese goodbye.
For Cape Clear resident Kylie Sweet, she wouldn’t send her children anywhere else and has had three children go through the school already, while her son Cody is in grade two.
“My daughter will start here next year, too,” she said.
“It has been a great school over the years and just has everything you need.
“The teachers are great, everyone knows everyone and it’s just a nice, close community.”
Mr Irwin plans to introduce many more new ideas over the next year, with plans for the pupils’ Skype calls to potentially go around the world.
patrick.byrne@fairfaxmedia.com.au