Are schools preparing our kids to take on the world?
Robert Kennedy in 1962 said “The future is not a gift: it is an achievement”. He was talking about the disparity in opportunities available to children of his nation to realise their dreams and further their individual talents. Kennedy was talking about a future where that gap has been closed.
The world today is evolving rapidly and Australia’s young people face unprecedented challenges now and throughout their lives. The community in which they compete for opportunities is a global one.
Our children live with constantly changing technology, they will work in jobs that do not yet exist and they will be faced with a changing climate. Is our education system doing enough to prepare our kids for their future?
FORUM
On Wednesday 30 November at Albert Park College, Southside Labor, Community Alliance Port Phillip (CAPP) and Martin Foley MP (State Member for Albert Park) are running a ‘Question and Answer’ format forum to discuss how we can ‘future proof’ our schools.
Leading the discussion and taking questions from the audience will be a panel of community leaders and education thinkers. Some local students will make a contribution.
The event titled ‘Our Schools: Our Future’ will be held in the Drama Room of the new Albert Park College (83 Danks Street, Albert Park) from 6.30-8.30pm on Wednesday 30 November 2011.
The event will be compered by Maxine McKew,
a former Australian politician and journalist, now prominent on the media and speaker circuit. Maxine was the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in the Rudd Ministry and the First Gillard Ministry. Between 2007 and 2010, she was the Federal Member for Bennelong, New South Wales, unseating the then Prime Minister, John Howard, who had been the member for 33 years. Before entering politics, Maxine was an award-winning broadcast journalist. She hosted a number of programmes on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television and radio, most recently Lateline and The 7.30 Report.
The panel includes:
Tom Bentley,
an author and policy analyst based in Australia, who works for the federal government. Tom was director of DEMOS, described by The Economist as ‘Britain’s most influential think tank’, and was special adviser to Britain’s Secretary of State for Education and Employment, where he worked on issues including school curriculum reform.
Mary Bluett,
President of the Australian Education Union (Victorian Branch), and is representing the My School Needs Campaign at the forum.
Steve Cook,
the foundation principal of Albert Park College, overseeing the final year of construction and development, and the first year of operation of this new landmark school. Steve has previously won a number of educational awards for his work in sustainability at his old school, Williamstown High School, where he was a campus principal for 20 years.
Bronwyn Pike,
the State Member of Parliament for Melbourne, was Minister for Education in Victoria in the Brumby Government, and prior to entering Parliament, Bronwyn worked as a teacher, a community services manager and as the Director of the Unit of Justice and Social Responsibility in the Uniting Church. Bronwyn has a long history of advocating for social change, equality and the disadvantaged.
The venue is the new Albert Park College,
a public, co-educational high school. Construction of the new school commenced operation in February 2011, although the official opening will be on the morning of the forum. The school offers state-of-the-art educational facilities, with contemporary architecture designed by Woods Bagot. The school opened with high demand for places in Year 7, and expects to grow to full capacity over the next 6 years, including general and “select entry” enrolments. One-third of students participate in a select-entry accelerated program, which Principal Steve Cook says sends a strong message that the school values academic excellence.
Questions will focus on topics of Quality, Infrastructure and Access:
- How do we ensure our kids are equipped with a world-class standard of education?
- What infrastructure do our schools need to facilitate student learning? Did the Building the Education Revolution and the school laptop program meet these needs?
- What demographic changes are forecast for the inner southern metropolitan area?
- The education achievement gap is widening between wealthy and disadvantaged families. Why is this? What impact does this have on our schools and society? How can this be addressed?
- What role do initiatives such as teacher performance pay perform in improving teaching standards?
- What role does vocational education play in preparing our young people for work and in addressing Australia’s skill shortages?
- Do select entry schools and programs such as SEAL improve student learning outcomes?
…
Come along and engage with education policy and issues.
6.30-8.30pm, Wednesday 30 November 2011.
in the Drama Room of the new Albert Park College,
enter from 83 Danks Street, Albert Park.
Tea & Coffee provided.
Everyone in the community is welcome. Entry by gold coin donation.
For more information email events@southsidelabor.org.
