Two successful educators Dr Yiannakis and Dr Phil Paioff who completed high school at the site, were reunited for the 60th anniversary of the institution, which became a senior learning campus in 1982.
The Tuart College building has undergone changes over 60 years, operating as Tuart Hill Senior High School for from 1956.
Dr Yiannakis, a Curtin University research fellow who now teaches history at the college, said going back to high school was strange at first.
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READ NOW“Every now and then I have these déjà vu moments,” he said.
“I was walking along the corridor and remembered walking along as a year 12 student with a couple of my mates, it was peculiar.”
Dr Yiannakis said senior colleges played an important role in the community.
“Whether a person is 17 or 70 it offers people a second chance at education and it fits in to the whole ethos of life long learning,” he said.
“This is a terrific halfway house for preparing students for what it’s like to be in a university system, this environment is quite different to a high school and is a great stepping-stone toward university.”
Education consultant Dr Phil Paioff said Tuart College filled a gap for students who wanted to finish their studies.
“There are a lot of students, maturity or otherwise, that don’t do well at school and then they mature and they can come back more focused and many of them become outstanding university students, its just that it took them a little but longer get there.
“This place fills that kind of void and gives people that opportunity.”