NSW public schools will celebrate Education Week from 3 to 7 August with the theme of ‘Learning together’ drawing on the education community’s sentiment of 2020. 

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott said schools had faced unprecedented challenges in 2020 and Education Week would provide an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the public school community in the face of adversity. 

“We started the year with communities still suffering the impacts of drought and the destructive summer bushfires. Flooding then forced the closure of schools in some fire-affected areas,” Mr Scott said.  

“Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and totally disrupted our way of life, changing the way we learn and socialise.  

“Despite these significant disruptions our staff, in partnership with parents and carers, have worked tirelessly to ensure that high quality teaching and learning has continued for all students. 

“Learning together reinforces the role of our schools as the cornerstone of the community. We all worked together to move learning online almost overnight to maintain the continuity of education during the COVID-19 restrictions.” 

Education Week is an annual state-wide celebration of public education, which has been held for more than 50 years. This year’s events will run from Monday 3 August to Friday 7 August, with a focus on opportunities to celebrate virtually.  

The week will start with a live stream on Monday 3 August featuring public schools across NSW celebrating the theme. A student film festival will be live streamed on Wednesday 5 August.  

The Education Week 2020 website offers a wealth of ideas, information and resources for schools to plan and promote their #EdWeek20 activities including a comprehensive Teacher toolkit.  

You can share our students’ excitement with this video on our Facebook page.