Project to revegetate Cocos (Keating) Islands wins education award

28/10/94

A prestigious education award has been won by an ambitious project to revegetate the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean with their native tropical forest.

The project - devised by 10 students (aged 13 to 16 years) from the Cocos Islands District High School - has won the environmental section of the Western Australian Education Quest for Excellence in 1994.

Education Minister Norman Moore last night presented plaques to the winners of the five categories in the awards, which attracted more than 300 entries from 72 schools.

The annual Quest for Excellence Awards - part of Education Week - were run jointly by the Education Department and the Advance Australia Foundation.

Mr Moore said the Cocos Island project was notable for its public-spiritedness.  Schools at Cocos Island and the equally-remote Christmas Island, come under the jurisdiction of the WA Education Department.

The students surveyed native species, conducted seed germination trials, propagated plans and established a revegetation site.

"This entry is a fine example of the outstanding work being done by students in WA schools," the Minister said.

"All the entries represent exceptional standards of personal achievement, originality and innovation. They provide a window to the diversity or our educational system and the way it encourages individual development amongst students."

Other winners were:

·       Written Expression - Gavan Sproule (17), St Mark's Anglican School, for his poem 'Faustus and the World Bank';

·       Visual and Manual Arts (functional form) - Joint winners Shiree Hobson (17), Thornlie Senior High School for 'Fishing with Fauves', a waistcoat inspired by Fauvist painting; and Noriko Suizu (17), Swanbourne Senior High School, for a waistcoat embellished with embroidery and quilting;

·       Visual and Manual Arts (non-functional form) - Alice Peek (17), Penrhos College, 'My Mysterious Sister', for a photographic portrait shot in infra-red film;

·       Performing Arts - Chris Daymond (17) and Kevin Mitchell (17), Leeming Senior High School, for 'The Last Night', an expressionist-style drama which explored relationships between males.

Media contact:  Ross Storey  321 1444 or 222 9595

Penny Valentine - Education Department 263 5348