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HON DEAN WELLS MP - SPEECH NOTES
BP GRANTS FOR SCHOOLS AWARDS
28/07/1999
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WELCOME AND TO BP FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THESE GRANTS.
THE BP GRANTS HAVE BECOME A WELL-KNOWN FEATURE OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES IN QUEENSLAND OVER THE YEARS.
OF COURSE A MAJOR AIM OF THE AWARDS IS TO INCREASE LINKS BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND THE LOCAL INDUSTRIES AND COMMUNITY.
AS EACH YEAR GOES BY, THIS ORIGINAL AIM APPEARS MORE AND MORE APPROPRIATE.
LINKS BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND INDUSTRY AND BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE INCREASING ALL THE TIME.
MORE AND MORE SCHOOLS SEE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY AS PARTNERS IN THE EDUCATION PROCESS.
IN FACT, EDUCATION QUEENSLAND HAS JUST COMPLETED A STATE-WIDE CONSULTATION PROCESS IN WHICH WE SURVEYED THE VIEWS OF TEACHERS, PARENTS AND ACADEMICS.
THE RESULTS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT COMMUNITIES - ESPECIALLY SMALLER COMMUNITIES - SEE SCHOOLS AS HAVING AN INCREASING ROLE AS FOCAL POINTS FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.
LINKS BETWEEN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY OR BETWEEN SCHOOL AND INDUSTRY ARE VERY APPARENT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 25 SCHOOL PROJECTS THAT ARE RECEIVING AWARDS TONIGHT.
PROJECTS HONOURED INCLUDE WORK-RELATED, COMMUNITY BASED AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED ACTIVITIES.
TO NAME JUST A FEW, WE HAVE WORK-RELATED PROJECTS SUCH AS THE TARA STATE SCHOOL ENTERPRISE WHERE STUDENTS ARE TAKING ON ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH FEEDLOTTING AND MARKETING STEERS.
STUDENTS ARE DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING MOULDS TO RECYCLE MATERIALS AT MUELLER COLLEGE AND STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ARE LEARNING FURNITURE RESTORATION AT PIONEER STATE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE ALSO HONOUR COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MERRIMAC STATE HIGH SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY PLAYGROUP AND MOUNT ST BERNARD COLLEGE’S HERITAGE DISPLAY OF ABORIGINAL AXES.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS INCLUDE THE WOONGORRA SCRUB REGENERATION PROJECT BEING RUN BY ST LUKE’S ANGLICAN COLLEGE.
WE CAN SEE THAT STUDENTS, THE COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY BENEFIT FROM SUCH ENTERPRISES WHEN WE EXAMINE THE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES STUDENTS UNDERTAKE AS PART OF THESE PROJECTS.
THE ACTVITIES HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP ENTREPRENEURIAL AND OTHER WORK-RELATED SKILLS.
STUDENTS LEARN THE ROLE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN PLAY IN CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY AT LARGE.
THEY GROW IN PERSONAL CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY GET A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF HOW SCHOOLS AND THE WORLD BEYOND ARE LINKED.
I’M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE KINDS OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES THAT THE AWARDS ENCOURAGE BECAUSE ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE A ‘REAL LIFE’ LEARNING CONTEXT TO SCHOOLWORK ARE VERY MOTIVATING TO STUDENTS.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT SCHOOLS AND THEIR CURRICULUM ARE MEANINGFUL AND RELEVANT TO STUDENTS.
THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT IS KEEN TO SEE THIS STATE’S STUDENTS GO ON TO COMPLETE 12 YEARS OF SCHOOLING.
COMPLETION OF SCHOOLING HAS A PROFOUND EFFECT ON IMPROVING THE LIFE CHANCES OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
PEOPLE WHO COMPLETE YEAR 12 HAVE FEWER HEALTH-ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS, LESS CHANCE OF IMPRISONMENT AND, AS ONE MIGHT EXPECT, BETTER EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS.
I ENDORSE THE KINDS OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ENJOYABLE, RELEVANT AND ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO STAY AT SCHOOL.
I MUST ALSO MAKE MENTION OF THE DEDICATION OF THE TEACHERS WHO ARE PREPARED TO SUPPORT THESE INNOVATIVE AND MEANINGFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
I APPRECIATE THAT MANY OF THESE PROJECTS CAN ONLY SUCCEED WHERE TEACHERS GIVE OF THEIR OUT-OF SCHOOL TIME.
I ALSO SUSPECT THAT THE TEACHER’S PERSONAL ENTHUSIASM FOR A PROJECT CAN BE INTEGRAL TO ENSURING ITS SUCCESS.
OBVIOUSLY, THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BP AND EDUCATION QUEENSLAND IS VITAL IF PROJECTS SUPPORTED UNDER THIS AWARD SCHEME ARE TO MEET BOTH CURRICULUM BASED AND COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS.
I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP WILL CONTINUE GIVEN THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION DEMONSTRATED SO FAR.
TO CONCLUDE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HOW VERY PROUD I AM OF THE INITIATIVE SHOWN BY THE SCHOOLS WHO ENTERED THE AWARDS.
IT IS A PITY THAT NOT EVERY SCHOOL WHO ENTERED COULD RECEIVE AN AWARD BECAUSE EACH ONE HAS ILLUSTRATED THE WONDERFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCES STUDENTS HAVE BENEFITED FROM UNDER THIS SCHEME.
I AM APPRECIATIVE OF THE LEADERSHIP BP HAS SHOWN IN CONTINUING THIS WORTHWHILE PROGRAM.
THANK YOU.
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