Many thousands more will be kicking off their year at high schools throughout the region on Friday.

The NSW Department of Education doesn’t have specific figures for the number of Illawarra school students starting in 2016.

But, a spokesperson said historically there were about 70,000 students in total in the Illawarra and South East Region (Helensburgh to Eden including Goulburn and Snowy Mountains areas).

The statistics indicate there are about 5500 kindergarten students starting big school in the region. Most will officially start school next week but a number of schools have been holding familiarization days to conduct best start evaluations on new students.

A similar amount of students are also making the transition from primary school to high school and starting Year 7 in 2016.

Two new principals have started in the Illawarra, with Karen Burke at Figtree High School and Paul Ryan at Wollongong High School of Performing Arts.

The new school year has also seen Liberal and Labor federal politicians talk up their education policies and reforms.

The NSW Teachers Federation president Maurie Mulheron welcomed Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten's announcement that a Labor Government will ‘’deliver the Gonski reforms on-time and in-full’’.

‘’The Gonski-funded programs have been making a significant difference to the lives of NSW children,’’ he said.

The Gonski-funded programs have been making a significant difference to the lives of NSW children.- NSW Teachers Federation president Maurie Mulheron

‘’Fully funding the Gonski model will ensure these programs will continue to improve students' educational outcomes into the future.’’

Senator Simon Birmingham, the Federal Minister for Education and Training, said the government was putting in more money than ever before where it counts – ‘’in teacher quality, in a better curriculum, in parental engagement, in supporting principals.’’

Did you snap a photo of your child heading back to school, or starting ‘big school’?

Send it to cos@illawarramercury.com.au, post it to our Facebook page or upload it to social media with hashtag #MercBackToSchool to include in our online gallery