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Youth Member for Barwon Campbell speaks on Education

25 January, 2021
Youth Member for Barwon Campbell speaks on Education Image

Late last year the Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People and The Y NSW held Children’s Week Parliament. Ninety-one children and young people took part, representing 89 NSW electorates, Campbell Quintrell from Broken Hill represented Barwon. 

As part of Youth Parliament participants were invited to prepare a one minute speech about an issue they were passionate about that affects children and young people in NSW.

Campbell spoke about Education, you can watch his speech here, or read it below. 

Well done Campbell on being an excellent ambassador for your community and the Barwon electorate.

Updating the education system - Campbell Quintrell

Albert Einstein once said, “everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid”. Every student is taught the same thing yet not all students think the same. Schools were invented to prepare children to work in factories and this makes sense because for centuries now students have been controlled by bells, we are given short breaks to eat and for 8 hours a day we are told what to think. That sounds a lot like a full-time job to me.


Students are graded like products; a simple letter is supposed to explain our whole schooling and who we are. Unlike meat or apples students are not confined to a few characteristics. This system does not make sense because my friends and I are not the same letter, we are not the same grading, we are not the same person. Our characteristics are different, and we are equipped for different jobs. If the system put learning first the letter F would not mean failure, it would stand for find another answer. The current system leaves students emotionally and creatively anorexic.


I am sorry that I am not a lifeless robot that has no dreams. Students make up 20% of the world’s population, but we are 100% of the future. If this 100% of the future keeps being taught to work 9 – 5 jobs and have no dreams, then evolution will become like the school systems, BACKWARDS.

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