Visiting the Northern Sydney Regional Central Office and the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities

On Monday the students and I visited the Northern Sydney Regional Education Office in the morning and then spent the afternoon at the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities. We asked many questions and all agreed we could have spent several days with either of the offices.  You might enjoy the following links: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/regions/sydney/index.php; http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/regions/northern_sydney/index.php

The Northern Sydney Regional Education Office would be similar to a US school system central office. The New South Wales Department of Education and Communities is comparable to our state departments.  Both were absolutely fascinating.  In Australia there are no superintendents or school boards and there are no educational leadership preparation programs in university settings. Leaders come from the ranks of teachers who express an interest in being in these roles. They receive professional development and training from the state department and regional offices so as to become a designated leader in their school.

Teacher preparation begins in the first year of studies at university. If a student is accepted at university to study teaching, they begin their studies in schools. Apparently there is very little general studies in the university system. All general study is part of high school. When students enter the university they are there to study the area they are accepted for.

Another interesting finding was that there are a number of specialized schools based on student interest or need. For example in the Northern Sydney District there are 12 specialty high schools, 2 environmental education centers and the Stewart House.  Specialty high schools include: a sports school, a performing arts school, Saturday school of languages, and Selective High Schools for gifted and talented.

The Stewart House provides an education program to assist with the development of the emotional, psychological, physical and educational needs of visiting students and an excursion program to enable students to see the tourist sites of Sydney. THE MAJORITY OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT COMES FROM TEACHERS THROUGHOUT NEW SOUTH WALES. Teachers and administrators donate a portion of their salary to the school. http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?do=showRecord&code=5515

The Northern Sydney Office referred to a recent technology grant they received as the Digital Education Revolution. From this grant, every high school is now wireless, every high school has a technology officer, every high school teacher and student was given a laptop with preloaded software including Office, Adobe Suite, Dreamweaver and plenty of others.  There appears to be plenty of professional development and support for teachers and students. Websites are blocked but if a teacher or student petitions to have a site opened it can be and will then become available to all. Pretty darn amazing!

Teachers and administrators are aging. There will be a shortage of both within 5 years.  Math and science teachers are hard to find and the education department has alternative training for folks in these areas who want to become teachers.

There was so much to see and do I certainly have not captured all of it. More to come.