It was so rewarding for me to be invited to attend the official launch of the Matraville Sports High School training ground initiative for student teachers that exposes them to ‘real issues’ which sees the school partner with the University of NSW in a world first
Now Matraville has more teachers to give the students the attention they need, and the UNSW is giving its student teachers much more classroom experience than they would normally receive.
Up to 60 student teachers will now be on the Matraville campus at any one time.
“For too long teacher education has been stuck in an ivory tower with occasional excursions out into the real world .This is the first time that a secondary campus has been established for a university teacher education facility in Australia.
“The kids can get their hands dirty — student teachers need to see what it’s like to actually deal with an extended school community. It is exposure to real schools, with real issues far beyond standard teacher education”. Professor Chris Davison head of the School of Education at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
You can only imagine how thrilled and honoured I was to see the showcase video that shows how The Archibull Prize is viewed as an integral part of this groundbreaking initiative that includes drama and gifted education programs, particularly focusing on the arts and science, as well as literacy and numeracy initiatives for those students needing additional support.
Watch the showcase video here
Since its inception The Archibull Prize has been funded by industry and supporters of Ag in the Classroom. This means our annual reports have always focused on the benefits to agriculture. Yet when the art judge Wendy Taylor and I visit all the schools we know the benefits of The Archibull Prize experience to the schools, the students and their wider communities are so much more than this and sadly we have yet had the opportunity to tell the whole story
Thank you so much Matraville Sports High School and UNSW for sharing the holistic importance of the Young Farming Champions and The Archibull Prize programs. Kudos to you
