Our education system is held back by old teaching ideas that are not related in any way to how children contact with new knowledge or prepare them to critically think and explore ideas and by the learning spaces that put these children and expect them to be inspired and creative. Its a system that was developed to build a labour force to work grow industry, but not the industry of today, more like the industry that we see now as great factories of the industrial revolution.
Early childhood provides a example of how learning environment, when designed to give the learner spaces to play, explore, create, test ideas, relax, rebuild and connect. Its not just the design and spaces, but critically the key is the how the facilitator of learning in these spaces is engaged with the students, not in constantly talking at them, but instead questioning, testing and provoking, Urging the student to explore and test, create and grow.
The curriculum is tailored to each child and the skill and knowledge gained is progressively assessed. These spaces create a new family of learners, who grow and learn in different ways.
Our community is being presented with an opportunity few ever have, the chance to rethink how our secondary education is delivered, in what spaces its delivered and what does a classroom of the future look like and what sort of learner will it need to cater for.
Obviously we can think small and look backward and recreate what we have now, more of the same, maybe split between the existing two high schools, which get a makeover to look a little more glamorous. But effectively is the same - just one for years 7 - 9 and the other for 10 - 12. We still end up with old style thinking and not a lot changes in outcomes.
Imagine a campus that sprawled along the edges of the lake, maybe even built into the sloping hill behind the lake, offering sporting fields that in a sense were built over the top of science and art spaces.
Imagine learning pods scattered amongst the cypress pine pine in the gullies behind the Golf Course. A school that became part of the environment itself. Art spaces and stages that encouraged performance, learning pods that encouraged exploration and testing of new ideas and worked in conjunction with some of the leading industrial technologies.
What if our education setting had some of the leading tertiary institutions integrated into the same facility, not held back by having to be physically present, but encouraged to participate through the innovative use of new and emerging technologies.
Rethinking what it is we want for our children, not only now but more importantly 15 years and 50 years and even 100 years into the future is how we should plan for this new education setting. This is an opportunity for a small community in the middle of nowhere, to create something that is new, different and bespoke.
It could include early childhood and aged services, can you imagine the benefits of creating a learning space which encouraged the generations to sit and play side by side.
So what is you want? More of the same? or the chance to give our community and its young people an opportunity to show the world how education can be delivered, and where results are not measured by the a NAPLAN rating, but in essence by the impact these young people will have on the world into the future, the innovations they bring to the world, the relationships across cultures and the harmony that transcends the cultural and ethnic complexity we all live with.
I know what I want to see, because I happen to work in a education sector that does this each and everyday, and its the only education model that research is proving, has an impact throughout life, and its impact is so strong that child's engagement in learning has more ongoing impact than primary, high school and tertiary education combined.
In 2010, the ABC 7:30 Report, presented an episode on what was happening in Dandenong, on the edge of eastern Melbourne, this community took three high schools and created a new one, on a new site and the classrooms are early learning spaces. The impact ... watch this presentation.
And then if you doubt the veracity of my commentary, check out this documentary from the UK on the future of education and what is going to matter into the future and what is going to continue to fail our young people.
So this discussion about our two state high schools can be held back by those reluctant to change or are frightened of the future, our we can offer an opportunity to let our young people be the ambassadors of a system that enables and builds.
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