Visitors to the Village Centre on Tuesday may have been surprised to witness a fully-fledged argument between local teachers and students, in one of the many Education Week activities across the region.
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The theme was “Today’s schools – creating tomorrow’s world”. Batemans Bay High School English teacher Anica Koprivec organised a debate in the CBD on Tuesday, August 7. Teams debated if schools kill creativity.
Students Isabella Foster, Lucy Hebenton and Natasha Dawson argued for, drawing on UK expert Dr Ken Robinson and their own experiences. They cited an overcrowded curriculum, driven by high stakes standardised tests like NAPLAN, and a fifty-year-old HSC model.
However, teachers Sharon McCutcheon, Kerryn Hopkins and Geoff Perrem countered with examples of student creativity across subjects. Adjudicator Neil Reaper awarded the debate to the teachers, recognising creativity is a core skill taught statewide. The debate continued a tradition of events since the school’s 1988 opening.
