Message from Deputy Premier

Message from the Deputy Premier

IT IS A JOY to welcome our students and their families into the school gates for a fresh school year. Whether this is your first year as a school parent or the next of many, I know Term 1 is always a time filled with both nervous anticipation and great excitement for everything that lies ahead.

At the heart of everything we do in public education is a simple but powerful commitment to give every child in NSW the best start in life.

This year, the NSW Government will continue working closely with you, the first and most enduring educators in every child’s life, at every turn.

We deeply value the voices of all local Parents and Citizens (P&C) associations, whose dedication and advocacy help us shape beautiful school communities across the state. Under the leadership of the P&C Federation, I know we can ensure that every student has success within and beyond the classroom.

This year, one of the government’s biggest priorities is to support schools to showcase the amazing opportunity we have to offer to more families. We only need to look to our incredible alumni to see why public education is not just worth choosing – it is worth celebrating.

NSW Public Schools produce extraordinary leaders in every field. You only need to look to outstanding people like Jennifer Robinson, an accomplished human rights lawyer who began her journey at Berry Public School and Bomaderry High School; Jessica and Noemie Fox, proud Blaxland High School alumni who both took home gold at the Paris Olympics; or Dr Kirsten Banks, the inspiring astrophysicist who hails from Davidson High School.

With the impressive HSC results we celebrated last year, including the largest HSC honour roll in history, I know there are a raft of more remarkable success stories like these in each of our schools.

Unlocking the potential of our students begins in every classroom, with every teacher. It is with their dedication and brilliance that NSW schools become places of inspiration and opportunity for a brighter future.

Our NSW Labor Government is committed to ensuring schools have the resources and support they need to make sure every student reaches their full potential. This begins with valuing our teachers, and attracting passionate professionals ready to make a difference.

This year, you can also expect to see more friendly faces in front offices, with more than 700 new schools joining the School Administration Reduction Program. This will go a long way to freeing up teachers’ time to focus on quality teaching and learning.

Our government is also committed to ensuring every student is challenged to set aspirational goals. This year, all NSW public schools will be preparing to offer high potential and gifted education programs to help more students reach their full potential.

At the same time, we are delivering the infrastructure needed for the best possible school environments. This includes brand new builds in the fastest-growing areas and a record $1 billion investment into minor works. Over the summer break alone, more than 1,200 maintenance and upgrade projects took place across 800 schools.

I am so appreciative of the work that parents and carers do to help us create wonderful school communities all over NSW. I wish you all a happy and productive year ahead.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to public education in NSW.

Prue Car MP Deputy Premier of New South Wales for Education and Early Learning Minister for Western Sydney