Public education day - a chance to say thank you

23 May 2019

Today is Public Education Day, a day when we take the opportunity to appreciate and say thank you to those people who make our public schools, our preschools and our TAFEs so very special.

These institutions are at the heart of our community, responding to its needs, nurturing its children and developing students and young adults who are educated, motivated and confident in their ability to build a brighter future.

Our public education system has few equals across the world. It provides hope, opportunity and purpose no matter who you are or where you are from.

Our preschools give our younger children the best start to life. Our public schools welcome each and every child that arrives at the front gate, and provide a path to success for all. Our TAFEs provide high quality vocational education for students to ensure they have a strong future

Public education is profoundly democratic for it does more than educate an individual; it brings together children and young people from a range of diverse backgrounds and creates a cohesive and democratic community. In doing so, public education strengthens the social, economic and cultural fabric of our nation.

Those who would choose to limit or sideline our public education institutions ignore the lifelong benefits it provides to all members of society.

An ancient Chinese proverb tells us: “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

Public Education Day also provides the opportunity to acknowledge the dedicated and highly qualified education workforce who provide quality learning opportunities for our students.

It is a day to assert that public education must have the public recognition and financial backing of governments that understand what public education means to each child and the nation as a whole.

Today, the Australian Education Union would like to offer a profound thank you to everyone who works to keep our public education system running so smoothly no matter what challenges arise.

You give us all hope, and you are building a better future for us and for our children.

Thank you.