Please read below for more information about State Schools of Tomorrow (SSoT) - part of the $1 billion Tomorrow's Schools package.
Q. What is State Schools of Tomorrow?
A. The $850 million State Schools of Tomorrow is the largest one-off investment in education in Queensland's history. It enables local communities to help plan the future of state education and create a new educational vision for their long-term future. The educational vision created will drive modernisation and redevelopment of state schools and transform them into 21st century teaching and learning environments with exceptional facilities, resources and technologies.
The focus of State Schools of Tomorrow in round 1 is on encouraging neighbouring schools to work closely together and create strong partnerships with their surrounding communities. This collaboration will enable schools to share facilities and resources with other nearby state schools and identify new or increased educational opportunities for young people in the area.
The provision of modern, innovative teaching and learning environments will help to engage students in a contemporary curriculum. Joint school-community use of facilities could enhance adult learning opportunities and inspire Queenslanders of all ages to engage in lifelong learning.
State Schools of Tomorrow is the major component of the Queensland Government's $1 billion Tomorrow's Schools package that also included the $50 million School Community Development Fund shared amongst every state school in 2006-07, and a $100 million one-off contribution to the non-state sector.
Q. What will a State School of Tomorrow look like?A. State Schools of Tomorrow projects will be different in each community, but they will all follow the same important education and community principles guiding the initiative. Differences between each project will occur because they will each be tailored to the needs of individual communities. Examples of what a State School of Tomorrow could look like have been created for illustrative purposes.
Q. What are the benefits of this initiative?A. Educational and Community Benefits lists some of the key benefits of State Schools of Tomorrow and information about how it will impact on young people and their local communities.
Q. What are the principles guiding State Schools of Tomorrow?A. Principles and Objectives is an explanation of the important education and community considerations that will guide all State Schools of Tomorrow projects.
Q. What does SSoT mean for my school?A. State Schools of Tomorrow will initially begin with Round 1 in a very small number of Queensland communities before being expanded statewide in late 2008.
Schools participating in Round 1 projects are just beginning their community consultation stage. This means it is business as usual for state schools while an educational vision for the future is created by the local community during a community consultation period.
The future of state schools taking part in SSoT will be considered by parents, teachers and local residents. The educational vision created as a result of consultation will identify any changes to individual school sites as part of planning for the future of education.
From an overarching perspective, State Schools of Tomorrow requires groups of state schools with shared enrolment boundaries to collaborate rather than compete. They will be encouraged to work together in short, and long-term planning processes to create new and improved curriculum opportunities and choices from Prep to Year 12. This approach reflects emerging international trends in future educational planning and will ensure a smooth transition for students across all phases of learning from Prep to Year 12.
Q. What sort of school-community partnerships will be developed?A. State Schools of Tomorrow provides an opportunity to determine how best to align education services within each community for maximum benefit to young people. The way of the future is for schools to be closely connected with their communities and to consider the needs of contemporary Queensland families.
Where possible, State Schools of Tomorrow will seek opportunities to share school sites with like-minded community service providers to benefit the broadest range of people in each community. New partnerships could be developed between schools and local tertiary, training or TAFE providers, childcare and healthcare providers, and other community services that are compatible with schools and committed to securing a world-class education for young people.
These strong new links will help to strengthen career pathways for young people between secondary and higher education.
Q. Why has this initiative been created?A. State Schools of Tomorrow positions Queensland with other world leaders in delivering a unique and exciting approach to future schooling needs. Emerging educational trends highlight the link that exists between high-quality, innovative teaching and learning environments and improved student learning outcomes.
The dramatic changes to Queensland communities in recent years, as a result of population, housing and lifestyle changes, mean some school locations may no longer match modern day community needs. State Schools of Tomorrow provides an opportunity to assess the location and provision of local schools as part of a wider initiative for creating schools for the 21st century.
Q. When will State Schools of Tomorrow begin?A. Round 1 of State Schools of Tomorrow projects began their first phase - community consultation and creating a new educational vision - in Term 3 2007. Applications to take part in future projects will be invited in late 2007 and early 2008. Please contact your Education Queensland Regional Executive Director to discuss the strict criteria and guiding principles for State Schools of Tomorrow projects.
Regular updates about individual State Schools of Tomorrow projects will be available on the Tomorrow's Schools website.
Q. Where will State Schools of Tomorrow projects take place?A. In round 1, State Schools of Tomorrow projects will focus on groups of schools in significant need of revitalisation in areas across Queensland. They will also concentrate on groups of schools with the greatest opportunities for enhancing state education through the renewal of resources, facilities and technologies, and with the potential to boost the greatest number of student learning outcomes.
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