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This school wants to scrap years 8, 9 and 10

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An Adelaide high school principal plans to wipe traditional class levels and says failure will not be an option, in a bid to overhaul the struggling campus.

Fremont-Elizabeth City High School, in the northern suburbs, is set to become a blueprint for transforming other underperforming schools across the country, news.com reported.

On Monday, principal Rob Knight outlined the proposal to create the state’s first “transformational school” at a special assembly, while Education Minister Susan Close was set to announce millions of dollars in capital funding.

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Mr Knight told news.com that as part of the plans, Year 8, 9 and 10 classes would “disappear” and be replaced with groupings related to academic progress rather than age.

There would also be five streamed “levels” in each subject, with students able to shift between levels according to individual needs.

If a student scored a ‘D’ or worse, or failed to submit an assignment, they would be transferred to a support team until their work reached a ‘C’ standard.

“It’s not acceptable for a student to opt out of their learning,” Mr Knight  told news.com.

“If we can make this work in one of the most disadvantaged and marginalised communities in Australia, then it can become a blueprint that can be rolled out in other schools.”

According to Mr Knight, Fremont-Elizabeth City faced major challenges in academic performance, with more than a quarter of all grades across the school ‘D’ or ‘E’, as well as attendance, retention and behavioural issues.

Also part of the proposal, lessons would run for 80 minutes with the day starting at 9.30am.

While, middle school maths, physics and chemistry classes would be replaced with general science and technology classes focused on problem solving and real world applications.

Ms Close told news.com Mr Knight’s “bold and innovative ideas” could have “a dramatic effect on student learning”.

“We will continue to liaise with him and I will watch with interest how his students develop and thrive,” she said.

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