Woy Woy becomes centre of excellence

Brisbane Water Secondary College Woy Woy Campus will become one of six Centres for Industry Training Excellence on the Central Coast.

Minister for Education and Training Ms Verity Firth said the Centres for Excellence aimed to develop high quality teaching and improve teacher training.

"This initiative reflects the commitment of Central Coast schools and industry to meeting the training needs of local 15 to 19 year olds, especially as the rise in the school leaving age takes effect," Ms Firth said.

"They will respond flexibly to students' needs and develop excellent employment credential through strong ties with local business and industry."

"NSW is locating Centres for Excellence in 13 primary and secondary schools around the state from next year," Ms Firth said.

"By 2011, 50 Centres for Excellence will be located in every region.

"Each centre will form the hub for a cluster of schools which will extend the benefits to a further 200 schools across the state through Connected Classroom technology."

Ms Firth said the centres would be similar to teaching hospitals and would allow the next generation of teachers to observe high quality teaching firsthand.

"Established staff at the school will also have their skills refreshed through the increased university presence and focus on teacher professional development.

"The schools that have been selected are consistently achieving strong results which are an indication of high quality teaching.

"We want to ensure our teachers receive the best training possible."

Press release, 30 Sep 2009 Verity Firth, Minister for Education and Training