An invitation from our Founder and CEO

Australia’s education system is one of contradictions.

All of our children, regardless of background, deserve an excellent education. Yet, our current reality is one of stark disparity.

All children can learn. Yet, students in low income communities are on average almost three years behind their wealthier peers – and it has nothing to do with intellect.

Teachers are champions. Yet, only 40 per cent of teachers believe their profession is valued by society.

Education is the key to unleashing potential – in individuals, in communities and in our economy. Yet, innovation in education is often slow and hard won.

Starting Wednesday 19 April at 8.30pm on SBS, Australia will be invited to engage in these contradictions and be challenged to help resolve them.

You’ll be invited to witness a school year following the experience of six brave teachers and their remarkable students.

You’ll share their collective highs and lows. You’ll feel their frustration with complex challenges and you’ll smile as they celebrate their hard won successes. You’ll meet exceptional colleagues, inspiring principals and caring parents. And you’ll see that what may at first appear a challenging context, is actually one of incredible strength and resilience.

Through this lens of six teachers who courageously offered their first years of teaching up for the country to follow, we hope that you’ll be inspired to act.

Act to break the link between demography and destiny that currently defines educational outcomes in Australia. And act to elevate the esteem that we have for teachers, seeing them for the true champions that they are for our kids and our collective future.

We are so humbled by and grateful to teachers Emmanuel, Fiona, Kitty, Sasha, Stephanie and Will and their many students. And we feel deeply privileged to partner with their colleagues and principals David, Everal and Maisie and respective school communities of Melton Secondary College, Southern River College and Tennant Creek High School.

I know that you join me in thanking them for inviting us all into their lives, to witness their challenges and their unwavering passion for education. On their behalf, I invite you to watch.