We are proud that almost 30 per cent of our school hail from regional areas.
We have instances where multiple generations, including a current family where the fifth generation, has started at the school.
Having 122 hectares of land in the centre of greater Sydney enables students at King’s to be hands-on with animal husbandry and food production.
How can Australia grow its agriculture sector?
By educating our boys for the future, while we may not know exactly what the future holds, our job is to prepare our students to grow their hearts and their minds to be innovative within the Australian agribusiness Industry.
When a Kingsman returns to regional Australia, he will be resilient and agile – able to think clearly and respond appropriately – not just contribute, but to actively drive the primary production business that he is involved in, whatever that might be.
What have been the game-changers in the agricultural industry in recent years?
The King’s School can’t speak for the industry. Educationally the school has looked for opportunities to revolutionise the way in which we engage our students.
Through the introduction of The Future Project, students at King’s have the opportunity to conduct authentic scientific research and work on real-world problems. In the past 12 months alone, students have worked alongside scientific researchers.
What do you see are the major economic challenges faced by farmers and people in rural and regional areas?
The explosion of the Chinese middle class on the international front is both a major challenge and opportunity for our agribusiness industry.
A challenge in being able to meet demand – to scale business to meet demand and maximise business outcomes – an opportunity in terms of, as a country, we have an incredibly desirable product and are well placed to service the rest of the world when it comes to the issue of food security.
How can these challenges be tackled?
As educators, it is our responsibility to equip our students with the skills they need to be able to capitalise on global opportunities.
Having educational programs that encourage the thinking of innovative production techniques to meet the market demand is one example. Being able to learn to communicate is essential. To be able to ask the right questions and understand cultural differences is and will continue to be imperative. At King’s our Confucius Classroom, a joint initiative with the University of Sydney, provides boys with access to an innovative languages education program.
What are the major health challenges in rural and regional areas?
Remoteness and isolation leading to mental health issues. In understanding the prominence and importance of this issue, the recent women’s dinner at The King’s School raised awareness and funds for well-known sector charities.
How can these challenges be overcome?
Working with our students to understand that it is OK to ask for help and if you need it, where and how to access support. At King’s, our dedicated team of school counsellors are available to support students throughout their King’s journey.
As a nation, we need to work towards having technology-based support solutions that are accessible and ensure that our regional centres are equipped with the facilities and resources to be able to respond to those who need it.
How can businesses attract young people back to rural and regional areas?
Having attractive job opportunities that entice young people is essential.
Therefore, encouraging businesses to decentralise and relocate to regional areas and setup headquarters would be a great start.
To make this viable, reliable technology infrastructure and broadband internet services are essential.
What can your school deliver that helps solve these issues?
At King’s, we are preparing boys for their future – not just exams. We enable students to confidently step outside their comfort zone to realise their full potential.
Success for us is when a student can clearly articulate their own ambitions and create pathway options to realise them.
Importantly, we are also incredibly proud to be supporting regional Australian through our partnership with The Land in The Next Crop initiative.
How is the school connected with the Monaro region?
Success for us is when a student can clearly articulate their own ambitions and create pathway options to realise them.
- AARON MALOUF
Through Tudor House (the school’s regional campus at Moss Vale, NSW ) and Futter Park (Harden, NSW) we are proud to be able to take our educational offering to the country. The King’s School continues to look for opportunities to partner with regional communities and agribusiness entrepreneurs.
