Buranda's philosophy wins prestigious award

Vol. 15, No. 22, December 1 2006

THE Department of Education, Training and the Arts has been recognised for its outstanding work at the annual Premier's Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management.

Director-General Rachel Hunter passed on her congratulations to Buranda State School principal Lynne Hinton and staff who took out the Premier's Innovation and Creativity Award for their Learning to Think: Philosophy at Buranda State School project.

'Since philosophy teaching began at the school, significant and measurable improvements have occurred in the learning outcomes of students,' Mrs Hunter said.

'Unexpected outcomes have also occurred. The social behaviour of students has improved to the extent that there is now little or no bullying at the school, and enrolments have quadrupled.'

Mrs Hunter also congratulated members of the Department who were finalists in the Partnerships and Reconciliation Award category.

The Jinda Aboriginal Consultative Council was recognised for its valued contribution to strengthening the communities of Cherbourg, Murgon and Wondai with its solutions-focused attitude.

The Council has enabled local community members to come together with Government and non-Government agencies to identify and solve problems locally.

The Queensland Museum was also a finalist for the creation of Dandiiri Maiwar - Queensland's first dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures Centre.

The Centre involves communities in a wide range of activities, programs and exhibitions in an effort to establish better recognition and understanding of cultures.

These prestigious annual awards acknowledge the significant achievements of teams of people in the public sector who demonstrate exceptional quality in their work and set new benchmarks for excellence.

Competition for the awards was tough with the program receiving a tremendous response from State Government departments and agencies this year, with 113 teams entering programs across the eight award categories.

The Premier's Awards for Excellence are designed to provide incentive to the public sector in achieving excellence in service, working and leading Queenslanders in welcoming new ideas, building the social, economic and environmental capacity of the state and valuing diversity to foster a strong sense of fairness and community spirit.

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