Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and recognise the achievements of several Australian schools, including Brighton Secondary School, in the F1 in Schools challenge. It is the world's largest science, technology, engineering and mathematics competition. It involves over nine million students from 17,000 schools in 31 nations. Students as young as 10 are designing, testing and making miniature Formula One cars, capable of doing 80 kilometres an hour.

Students learn leadership; team building; project management; business planning; public speaking; marketing; collaboration; and writing and presentation skills.

There were 38 teams in the final racing in Austin, Texas, including three Australian teams. In 2012 the Brighton Secondary School team Cold Fusion won: World Champions, Best Engineered Car, Fastest Car and Knockout Champions. It was also winner of the Ashes Race between Australia and England.

In the Austin Texas round, the Brighton Secondary School team, a collaboration team with Donabate Community College, in Ireland, came sixth outright and won Best Team Portfolio and Best Team Collaboration.

Students from Engadine High School, in Sydney, came fifth outright. First outright in World Champions were students from Phoenix P12 Community College in Ballarat and Pine Rivers State High School in Queensland.

Brighton Secondary School is well known for its excellence in music and volleyball. Making the finals two years in a row shows its excellence in science, mathematics and engineering.