We headed out to Blackwattle Bay school, a high school right on the water, where its principal, Lee Wright, gave an overview of the Australian K-12 education system with its history, achievements and challenges. The last few weeks and months have brought new challenges -- the federal government has decided that it no longer funds education but that the states need to do this, and such initiatives as every school pupil, from 9th grade on, has a laptop, have been discontinued. So, the problems faced here are very similar to the ones in Alabama.
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| View from Blackwattle Bay School Conference Room |
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After this school visit we took the ferry to Manly, past the gap -- having a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean,
and then took the bus to Stewart House (
http://www.stewarthouse.org.au/), a beautifully situated sanatorium/school, founded in the 1930s with the explicit purpose of providing health care to sick children. Today, the focus is on providing care of various types to children in difficult, problematic or dangerous home situations. They come for 2 weeks from all over the state, and Australian teachers are for a large part responsible for making this happen as they generously subsidize the government funding.
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| Stewart House |
We were very fortunate not only to have a great tour guide, Chris, but also meeting a former attendant, Dennie, who happened to stop by while we were there. He had attended in 1947 and was very excited and moved to have the opportunity to visit the house by joining our group.
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| View from Stuart House |
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And yes, the evening was rounded out with a friendly soccer match, Australia vs. South Africa, in the Olympic Park Stadium. A memorable day all around.
Missing: one passport, remedied by emergency trip back to hotel
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