FIRST STEM SCHOOL COMING TO WESTERN SYDNEY

The first school in NSW fully devoted to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education will open in 2021 at the planned Sydney Science Park in Western Sydney, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Education Minister Rob Stokes said today.

“This is an historic moment and a real win for NSW. With its dynamic population, new infrastructure programs and rapid growth, Western Sydney is the perfect location for the state’s first STEM school,” Ms Berejiklian said.

The school will be the first of its kind in NSW and is the product of a collaboration between the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, who will build the school, and Sydney Science Park developers, Celestino.

It will cater for more than 2000 students from pre-school to post-Year 12 and offer unique opportunities for students to collaborate with and learn from the research institutions and industry based at the park.

“A dedicated STEM school at the heart of this vibrant new precinct enables us to embrace a new era in education, one where curiosity and creative thinking are critical,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Mr Stokes said the STEM program would prepare students for the jobs of the future.

“We desperately need more students studying science at university and this school will enable us to think beyond mainstream learning into a world of endless new possibilities,” Mr Stokes said.

The $5 billion, 280-hectare Sydney Science Park will be a leading international centre for research and development with a focus on food security, health and energy. Detailed planning for the first stage of the project is underway.

Construction of the Sydney Science Park STEM school is expected to begin in late 2017 or early 2018. The school is due to open in 2021.