Understanding places and people

Could the Geography Olympiad be within our reach?

Students of S and G classes in Year 9 and 10 and Year 11 Geography were selected to take part in the 23rd annual Australian Geography Competition. This competition took place on Friday, 28th April 2017. This was a multiple choice test that students completed in 35 minutes.

Nearly 60,000 students from around Australia have entered the Competition, which is joint initiative of the Australian Geography Teachers’ Association and the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland.

Competition coordinator Bernard Fitzpatrick said that the Competition gave teachers an opportunity to highlight geography in their schools and challenge their students. “In today’s society, geography is a vital subject that all young people should study. Understanding place and people, and the socio-economic and environmental interactions at local, regional, national and international levels is important to the economic and environmental future of Australia,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

“With schools in many parts of Australia having introduced the new national geography curriculum, it’s an exciting time to be involved in geographical education, and the Competition plays its part in this,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

This competition will provide our high-achieving or interested students an opportunity to extend themselves in Geography and cultivate an interest in this subject for future endeavours and career choices.

Students will be graded and receive certificates based on their result sheet by late July. Year 11 students from NSW will be selected to take part in Geography’s Big Week Out being held on Kangaroo Island, South Australia later this year. From that event, Australia’s team will be chosen for the 2018 International Geography Olympiad being held in Canada.

Our students should be commended for their effort and we hope they perform well in this competition. Thank you to all students for doing their best.

For further information, please contact:

Local: Belinda Truong

National: Bernard Fitzpatrick (Competition Coordinator)

Ph: 02 9822 1430

Ph: 07 3368 2066

Email: belinda.truong3@det.nsw.edu.au

Email: competition@rgsq.org.au