How NSW is trying to give students a voice in education

The Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the Student Voice Hub broke new ground in Australian education by providing students with a platform to share and interact with content created for students by students.

“The Student Voice Hub is a partnership in learning and listening,” Ms Mitchell said.

It will play a key role in building a better education system as student perspectives, experiences and aspirations shape and enrich our schools and communities.

“It will also provide students with opportunities to refine their writing and content creation skills, along with pitching their stories and ideas.”

As part of the student voices channel development, a network of student journalist teams across NSW will be established, who will be mentored to develop and write news articles about their communities and schools.

Content on the launch site includes articles about student initiatives such as two brothers who raise awareness of racism by wearing one white and one black sock every day; a short film by a team at Punchbowl Boys High School on responsible e-gaming; student reflections on what the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour landing means to them; and a podcast by Macksville HSC students about completing Year 12 in the age of COVID-19.

The site is backed by research, co-funded by the NSW Department of Education, that shows authentic participation by students in their education has significant positive impacts on student wellbeing and learning.

The site will also host monthly polls based on questions submitted by students across the state.