Walking into the school gates this week wasn't just the start of a new term for a group of outback kids.
For some students in the Balonne Shire – more than 500 kilometres west of Brisbane – it's a chance to get back to normality after missing about a term of formal classes.
Four consecutive floods this year in the region have meant some students have missed months of vital in-person education in 2022.
Bollon mum Rebecca Steer has two children, Finn in year 6 and Imogen in year 10, who travel 100 kilometres each way to attend their nearest P-10 school at Dirranbandi.
"I think the kids have worked out it's been nearly a whole term that they've missed out on just not being able to get to school," Ms Steer said.
"Education isn't just the numbers and letters, it's also that whole interaction and learning how to behave in a social setting, and both my kids thrive on that."
Out of the ordinary
Although floods are part of living in her community, the severity, length and repetition of this year's inundations were unlike any the region had experienced.
"It's pretty unusual. It's not something you expect and it's not something we've had to deal with very often," Ms Steer said.
Poor telecommunications service was another challenge for home-schooling in parts of the region.
"Unfortunately, where we are, we're only on 3G and the internet drops out … downloading and logging into things was a nightmare for both kids," Ms Steer said.
Accessing learning
While no schools in the area were closed for more than three days during any of the rain events, the nature of the rural landscape meant each student had a unique challenge accessing learning.
Some students from Hebel and Thallon State Schools attended a different school for a period during the flooding.
The Department of Education said extra support was provided to assist the impacted students.
A spokesperson said it was committed to ensuring all students received the support they needed, especially those who experienced difficult circumstances.
The rain has eased for the time being, but Balonne Shire Mayor Samantha O'Toole said further downpours could mean more interruptions.
"I think after COVID we expected 2022 to be a little bit kinder to all of our school children. "
Dry roads and a smooth start to the new term has been a welcome relief for the Steer family.
"Kids aren't supposed to be that excited about going back but both mine were counting down the days. They had uniforms out and ready to roll."
