Education Week 2017 broadcast live from Tamworth High School

For the first time ever, the state-wide celebration was launched simultaneously in Sydney and Tamworth, and live streamed into all NSW public schools.

Tamworth High School captains Joshua McCulloch and Georgia Taggart shared the hosting duties with the captains of Glenmore Park High School.

Local Gomeroi students Ben Kent, Koorina Boney and Faith Howarth opened the ceremony with an acknowledgement of country, while the North-West Dance Company wowed the crowd with its moving contemporary dance performance Drought.

In an ode to teachers across the state, Tamworth South Public captain Joesph Anderson and former South Public student Geordie Brown used their key note speeches to praise their teacher Robyn Inglis.

“Mrs Inglis got me involved in debating – at the time I knew very little about debating, but with her help I’ve gained confidence in articulating an opinion and justifying it with fact,” Joseph said.

“Through this inspiration I’ve found a spark. This spark has given me a drive to become an astrophysicist.”

Geordie, now a Year 12 student at Oxley High School, said meeting Mrs Inglis as a Year 5 student was the “beginning of a journey” which would lead to experiences he “could never have imagined”.

“Great teachers like Mrs Inglis are role models who help us reach our true potential,” he said.

I’ve been gifted with many learning opportunities as a student at Tamworth South Public School.

These new experiences have challenged and motivated me to strive to do my best.

I am discovering my true potential by being exposed to a variety of rich and memorable experiences. This has changed the way I look at education.

Education is now a passion for me.

Mrs Inglis got me involved in debating. At the time I knew very little about debating but with her help I’ve gained confidence in articulating an opinion and justifying it with fact.

This led to me being involved in the multicultural public speaking challenge that has pushed me to work hard and study.

Without my debating experience, I wouldn’t have been involved in multicultural public speaking – and these experiences have broadened my understanding of global issues.

This is just one example of how learning in one subject can lead you towards other areas of interest. Another opportunity I was gifted with was The Night of the Notables. This was a long-term project, where I learned about Cristiano Ronaldo.

After a term of work, it all came together in one night of shared education and fun with my fellow classmates.

I didn’t just learn about Ronaldo. During the study period and on the night I also learnt about Thomas Edison, Canada, Archimedes and Harry Potter!

My teachers have provided me with enriched and diverse learning experiences, which safely encouraged me to take such risks.

With a rich foundation of opportunities and the support of my teachers and parents I was inspired to learn.

Through this inspiration I’ve found a spark.

This spark has given me a drive to become an astrophysicist.

I’m only in Year 6 and I have many more years of learning and knowledge to acquire. Another six years and I’ll be in Year 12 like Geordie.

I’m Geordie Brown and this is my educational story.

In January 2010, I was in Year 5 and starting at a new school.

I had just met my teacher Mrs Inglis and was beginning to start a journey which would lead to experiences that I could never have imagined.

From a young age, I’ve had a passion for speaking up. Speaking up to defend what I thought was right and speaking up about issues in front of me.

I am filled with a sense of gratitude and fulfillment when I reflect on the education I have been given.

This is particularly the case when I think back to Years 5 and 6, because the quality of education helped me to understand more about the world and more about myself.

The key to this growth started with knowledge and understanding, the knowledge that would guide me to logic, and the understanding of how lucky I am to be living in such a thriving and diverse community.

This was followed by a spark, a spark of inspiration and curiosity, two things which lead to an enriched, positive outlook and an eagerness to make a difference.

By having the support of a teacher who grasped the importance of both academia and inspiration, I was led to the final step in my journey which was a sense of creativity. Now creativity isn't always an artistic thing, it’s the ability that we have to form new ideas that help us make a change.

By giving children knowledge and understanding, we encourage them to become curious and inspire them about what lies in front of them and this is essential for our progress as a society. 

What I value most about school is the interaction between the student and the teacher, which is fundamental for building trust.

This allows us as students to have the freedom to dream, to experiment and to make mistakes and learn from them.

I was lucky enough to have a teacher who did just this. A teacher who said it was okay to be different, to dream big, to want more and to hope for a better future.

So much of the knowledge we are given as children is empowered by a sense of inspiration.

Knowledge without inspiration is sterile, and the role of teachers to inspire the next generation is crucial.

Great teachers like Mrs Inglis are role models who help us reach our true potential. 

They make an investment in students to lay the foundation on which we can build the future. But this is not always an easy task.

And, therefore, teachers are deserving of our utmost gratitude.

So today I say thank you.

Thank you Mrs Inglis, and thank you to any teachers who may be watching this today.

Without you, where would any of us be?