- Published:
- Monday 27 June 2016
Ballarat students are a step closer to having a high tech, innovation hub for learning with the appointment of an architect for the new Ballarat Tech School.
Minister for Education James Merlino today joined Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard at Federation University to announce Patrick Architects will design the Ballarat Tech School.
Patricks Architects is a multi-award winning firm specialising in designing education projects, and has designed schools in Victoria, New Zealand and Indonesia.
The Ballarat Tech School will use leading edge technology to teach science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects to students from 18 surrounding secondary schools.
The education program will focus on health, food and fibre, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and information technology.
The innovative learning environment will provide teachers and students with new ways of thinking, fostering creativity, critical thinking and practical problem solving.
Students will also gain crucial insight into employment skills and pathways into education, training and employment.
The Ballarat Tech School is a partnership between local schools, government, industry and Federation University.
It is one of ten new Tech Schools to be built under the Andrews Labor Government’s $128 million Tech School Initiative, which will help build skills in science, technology, engineering and maths.
The Labor Government has set targets to boost performance in these subjects as part of its plan to make Victoria the Education State. This includes a 25 per cent increase in the number of Year 9 students reaching the highest level of achievement in maths, and 33 per cent more 15-year-olds reaching the highest levels in science.
For more information on Tech Schools, visit techschools.education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
“This is an exciting step forward for the new Ballarat Tech School, which is on track to open its doors in 2018.”
“A Tech School is not a traditional school - it is a shared campus for surrounding local schools, which is equipped with leading edge technology to provide students a new type of learning environment as part of their enrolment at their local secondary school.”
Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Geoff Howard
“I'm thrilled that we're working with Federation University to develop this new shared campus, which will boast leading edge technology to help prepare students in Ballarat for bright futures.”
“The Ballarat Tech School will provide students from 18 surrounding secondary schools the opportunity to develop the skills they need in science, technology, engineering and maths for the high tech jobs of the future.”