Local Geography Students Excel in Australian Geography Competition
Geography students from Assumption College tested their geographical skills and knowledge against students from all around Australia in the 2020 Australian Geography Competition.
Geography teacher Neisha Thatcher said she had recently received the results and was pleased with how their students had performed.
“We have a number of student geographers at our school who performed to a very high level in the Competition this year with Finlay Koch in the top 1% in his Year Level across Australia, 1 student gaining high distinction, 1 student distinction and 7 students gaining credits,” said Miss Thatcher.
“It’s been a challenging year for schools with the pandemic, so we were happy to still be able to give our students the opportunity to test themselves against students from all around Australia, with over 65,000 students entering,” she added.
Kath Berg, the Competition’s national coordinator, said “The Competition aims to encourage student interest in geography and to reward student excellence.”
“Geography is such an important subject because it develops in students a holistic understanding of the world around them, and their place in it,” said Ms Berg.
Australia’s team to the next International Geography Olympiad is chosen from Year 11 students who excel in the Competition. The next Olympiad is scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey, in August 2021. Funding to support the Australian team and its training is provided by the Australian Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE). Whether an Olympiad is held in 2021 will depend on the COVID-19 situation.
The Competition is a joint initiative of the Australian Geography Teachers’ Association and the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland. In addition to the funding from DESE, sponsorship is received from the University of Queensland and University of Western Australia.
For more information please contact:
Neisha Thatcher, Geography Teacher
neisha.thatcher@assumption.vic.edu.au
