Twenty-four schools from across Australia have been recognised in this year's Anzac Day Schools' Awards, with Durack School in the Northern Territory and Devonport High School in Tasmania taking out the national honours for primary and secondary school categories.
Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester said the awards encourage schools to explore our military history to gain a strong understanding of the significance of Anzac Day, the importance of commemoration, and the role Australians have played in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations from the First World War to current conflicts.
"The winning primary school entry from Durack School was an interview with two Indigenous soldiers from NORFORCE, giving a unique perspective on their local history that isn't often explored - students learnt about and paid tribute to Northern Territory soldiers from the First World War until present in a project entitled Discovering our Heroes," Mr Chester said.
"Devonport High School took home the award for the secondary schools category with their whole-of-school and community Anzac-themed assembly, It Touched us All, featuring songs, poetry, storytelling and the laying of the wreath. This culminated in a student sharing a reading then proudly inviting her Grandmother to the stage to share her story of code-breaking in the Vietnam War as a young 17 year old.
"I congratulate all the schools that entered this year, the winners and runner-ups. These awards are an important way in which we educate the next generation on our military history, and the creativity on show and passion for our military history in this year's entries was outstanding and all schools should be proud of their efforts."
