Science experiments to return to the old labs at Warialda High School with the State Government contributing $455,200 towards upgrades, with Science teacher Nicole Simmons, Principal Shelly Way, left, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and Science teacher Ken Edmondson.
Tuesday, 16 March 2021
EXPERIMENTS will again be able to safely bubble away in the science labs at Warialda High School, with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall this week announcing an exciting ‘breakthrough’ with the State Government contributing $455,200 to upgrade the school’s outdated laboratory.
Mr Marshall said a revamped functional modern science lab would encourage students to pursue studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.
“In the 50 years since Warialda High School’s science lab was first built a lot has changed about the way science and agriculture is taught in the education system,” Mr Marshall said.
“Through the Federal Government’s Building the Education Revolution stimulus scheme after the global financial crisis, Warialda High School received a new science building containing a lab, staff room, chemical store, lab assistant area and a video conference room, however no work was done updating the existing lab.
“This funding will modernise and make that classroom safer by improving the old bunsen burner gas taps, wash down sinks, storage cupboards and learning space.
“If we want our young people to dream big and pursue exciting careers as doctors or in agriculture researchers we need to be inspiring them at a younger age.
“New lab facilities will give STEM subjects the prestige they deserve and hopefully encourage more Warialda High students to participate in them for the HSC and beyond.”
Warialda High School Science teachers Kendal Moxey and Nicole Simmons were excited about the educational opportunities the upgrade would unlock.
“These changes will make it a lot easier to teach from and we won’t have to avoid using the broken gas taps, so we can do more practical classes,” Mrs Moxey said
“We’ll actually be able to see what the kids are doing instead of them having their backs to you around the room.
“We understand the project will take 16 weeks from start to finish so we expect completion by the end of Term 2 this year.”
This program is part of the NSW Government’s economic stimulus response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The State Government’s Regional Renewal Program is providing a co-contribution of between 50 to 80 per cent for school infrastructure improvements to high priority schools in regional NSW.