Member for Murray Helen Dalton invited all students across her electorate to apply via social media, asking them to answer a question on how they’d improve their school or the education system.
Ms Dalton said she had an overwhelming response, in particular, from female students.
“Interestingly, all applicants were young women, so we might see a changing of the guard in parliament in the years ahead,” she said
“I received some fabulous, high quality responses.
“Mental health was a dominant theme, with students calling out for counselling and support services in schools and presenting some great ideas to address the issues.”
The NSW Youth Parliament is an annual program for students in years 10 to 12, where selected applicants spend a week in NSW Parliament debating law changes.
Each (senior) Member of Parliament gets to nominate one student from their electorate to be the Youth MP.
And while Ruby may not have been chosen to take the trip to Canberra, Ms Dalton said her speech stood out.
“I got a wonderful response from Moama Grammar’s Ruby Hehir, who wrote an hilarious critique of the rigid uniform and appearance rules at private schools,” she said.
Moama Anglican Grammar principal Carmel Spry said she was proud of Ruby's efforts in the competition.
“We are thrilled for Ruby to receive acknowledgement of her creative and critical thinking,” Ms Spry said.
“Moama Anglican Grammar encourages all students to think beyond the curriculum and subject content.
“Clearly Ruby has found her voice and is confident and comfortable to speak openly about the changes she would like to see in the education system. Congratulations, Ruby.”
Ruby's speech:
Having attended a private or (as others may believe it to be) a ‘stuck up’ school for the last four years, the importance of correct uniform has been drummed into me for as long as I remember.
And while I acknowledge that having a uniform inspires a certain sense of community, what has always baffled me is the obsession about small details such as how many earrings you have, or if your hair is a ‘natural shade’.
Obviously, I can understand the school board not being in love with the idea of us walking around with multi-coloured mohawks, yet they somehow still believe that having black socks instead of white socks or a singlet showing under our white shirts is just as ridiculous.
Here lies the inherent issue that schools seem to have with anything resembling a deviation from strict uniform. God forbid we express ourselves through something even remotely appearance related.
And while I believe this somewhat pointless emphasis on not only having to wear a uniform but from totally forbidding any outward appearance of individuality would certainly be something I would change, this idea of having an emphasis on the wrong things is the root-cause of the more deep-seated issue in our education system which I am about to discuss.
For so many years our education system has been centred entirely around repetition and the learning of facts rather than teaching our future leaders’ innovative ways of thinking.
Our very system is built upon the concept of education being majorly content based. Yet if everyone seems to be taught the same things generation after generation, how can we possibly expect anything resembling a positive social change when we are bombarding future generations with knowledge, barely giving them a chance to develop their own opinion?
After all, it can certainly be argued that the greatest pioneers of social revolution have not necessarily been the most educated but the ones with a unique perspective.
Now more than ever in our current social climate, being able to think in new ways is what is really needed in our workforce and is what will really provide a force for positive change on both a small and large scale.
This, I believe, is what must be changed. We must teach our children resilience, critical thinking and most importantly, the ability to come up with creative solutions to problems.
It is these attributes that truly make future leaders.
MORE EDUCATION NEWS
Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School can help non-verbal students with new iPads
Mathoura Public School celebrates Easter at end of Term 1
Boxes of books from MAGS to Echuca Moama Rotary Club
