Leon Rebello (McPherson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently had the privilege of visiting St Andrews Lutheran College to attend their IB Primary Years Program exhibition. Working in small groups, these year 6 students investigated real-world issues affecting Australians, and presented thoughtful, creative and innovative solutions.

One standout was a team tackling South Australia's algal bloom challenge. Sam, Rosie and Lyla, three passionate and impressive young scientists, presented 'BloomGuard', a creative science based concept to accelerate the breakdown of harmful algae while protecting aquatic life. Their proposal was developed over nine weeks, under the guidance of a marine biologist and senior science teachers to test assumptions, refine their design and ground their curiosity in evidence. Their proposal involved a dissolvable, seed-like micro tablet delivering Pseudomonas fluorescens to hasten algal decomposition, with an oxygen-releasing element to guard against oxygen depletion.

Other exhibitions were also strong, and covered issues like ebike safety and urban planning. I thank the teachers, staff and families for nurturing such strong student curiosity and critical thinking, and to these dedicated students I say: 'Continue to think outside the box. Test limits and never lose your commitment to making the world a better place. The future looks bright with young leaders like you.'