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The future of education will be on display in NSW public schools between 6-10 August as educators and students across the state celebrate Education Week 2018.
Under the theme, Today’s schools – creating tomorrow’s work, Education Week 2018 will highlight how schools are preparing students of today to thrive in a future globalised world rich with artificial intelligence and disruptive technologies.
Education Week will not only showcase the latest technologies and infrastructure being used to enhance students’ learning, but also look at how schools are working with the wider community to solve real-world problems.
NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes said there had never been a more exciting time to be involved in education with technology reshaping the way students learn.
“The NSW Department of Education is continually striving for improvement and innovation so that the young people in our care learn in a world-class education system,” Mr Stokes said.
“The NSW government is supporting that vision through a record $6 billion in funding to build the classrooms and schools of the future because we are determined to give our students the world-class facilities and learning they will need to compete in an increasing high-tech and globalised community.”
A new initiative this year is the Game Changer Challenge where eight primary and eight secondary will work to develop their vision of the school of the future.
The three-day series of workshops and panels with industry leaders in technology, design and thought, will conclude with a Shark Tank-style presentation to industry and education experts, including secretary Mark Scott.
“Education Week gives us all a great opportunity to visit our schools to talk with our teachers, to look at great learning in practice and celebrate all there is about public education,” Mr Scott said.
“We must be preparing today’s students to be citizens in tomorrow’s societies; workers in dramatically reshaped industries; using tools and technology that may still be embryonic or in their infancy,” he said.
At Junee High School, for example, students are working with older community residents to help reduce their power bills.
Under its Empower Energy Efficiency Project students test aged residents’ homes and use infrared technology to locate areas where heat can escape.
They then help seal the cracks, leading to significant reductions in residents’ power costs and help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions.
For Anzac Park Public School, a collaboration with industry leaders such as Optus and Google has helped inspire flexible working spaces for students that empower their learning.
In Moree East Public School, community elders are building a bridge to a brighter future for Aboriginal students by drawing on their culture’s rich history and practice, using dance, yarning and language to inspire them to dream big.
The launch will be held from 10am on August 6 in Kiama and Parramatta and will be live streamed on YouTube.