- Department of Education recognised in the 2023 Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) WA Achievement Awards
- Celebrated for Two-way Science Initiative which connects Aboriginal cultural knowledge with the WA science curriculum
The Department of Education has won the Best Practice in Corporate Social Values award at the 2023 Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) WA Achievement Awards.
The award recognised the Department's Statewide Services Two-way Science Initiative which connects the cultural knowledge of Aboriginal communities with the science curriculum and enables Aboriginal knowledge to be valued in a Western education setting.
The Two-way Science Initiative involves schools partnering with local Aboriginal people who work alongside school staff to develop an integrated, culturally responsive program that is shaped by their community's needs.
This enables students to learn science concepts from local Aboriginal community members, both On-Country and in the classroom.
The passion and the expertise of staff in the participating schools, along with their commitment to valuing local knowledge and working in genuine partnership with the Aboriginal community, have been at the heart of the program's success.
The Initiative is in high demand and provides schools with frameworks and resources to plan and implement the program.
The IPAA WA Achievement Awards recognise individual and organisational excellence in public service and celebrate those who exemplify best practice.
As stated by Education Minister Dr Tony Buti:
"Congratulations to the Department of Education's Statewide Services team for winning this prestigious award that celebrates excellence in public service.
"Two-way Science provides an opportunity for all WA students to learn about science from the world's oldest continuing cultures, deepening their knowledge of First Nations peoples.
"Embedding Aboriginal ways of knowing and doing into education allows us all to be connected to where we live and ensures the key concepts of country and place live on through future generations."
