Education Week: NSW hits 175-year milestone

The NSW Department of Education is marking 175 years of public education during this year’s Education Week.

Education Week 2023 runs from 31 July to 4 August, and will open with a statewide livestream to all public schools.

Education Secretary Murat Dizdar said Education Week had been a highlight of the NSW public education calendar for more than 60 years.

“Education Week celebrates the excellence that occurs every day in our 95,000 classrooms — the achievements of our students, teachers and school staff, and the support of our parents, carers and school communities,” Dizdar said.

“The history of public education reflects the development of our state, from the slab hut schoolhouses in the Colony of New South Wales, where parents paid for teachers, to the free and modern schools we now build in high-growth areas in the state.”

In 1848 the Board of National Education was tasked by Governor FitzRoy to set up a system of public schools. Before that time schools were operated by religious denominations and charities.

The town of Kempsey was the birthplace of public education, with the establishment of the Kempsey National School in 1848 by the Board of National Education.

By 1851 there were 37 public schools in NSW educating 2300 students. By 1900 — when there were only a handful of secondary public schools — students typically left school at age 12 to start work.

Today the NSW Department of Education is one of the largest education systems in the world, with nearly 800,000 students learning in 2200 schools. The school leaving age is 17 and two-thirds of students finish 13 years of education in Year 12.

Dizdar said Education Week was an opportunity to reflect on the value of public education, where every student was known, valued and cared for in a range of school settings to suit every learner.

“We want parents and carers to actively choose a NSW public school and be confident their children will receive an education of the highest quality from talented and committed teachers,” he said.

“Public education welcomes all students and proudly embraces equity and inclusion. All students, regardless of their postcode and life circumstances, deserve the same opportunities.”

Students can celebrate the history of their school or community in the ‘My History, Your History, Our History’ competition, with entries open until 15 September 2023.

Image credit: iStock.com/yellowsarah