The Australian Science and Mathematics School, located at Flinders University, has won the Education category of the 2008 South Australian of the Year Awards ceremony.

The award was announced by the South Australian Premier, The Hon Mike Rann, at a presentation November 20 and was accepted by ASMS principal, Mr Jim Davies.

The school, which opened in 2003, was recognised for its innovative curriculum in science and maths, which offers new areas of study such as nanotechnology and laser science for students in Years 10 to 12.

The school accepts students from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds based on their passion for maths and science, and aims to provide improved pathways into tertiary education and ultimately into science, mathematics and technology careers.

Mr Davies said that the schooling model developed at the ASMS is now shaping similar developments in a number of other countries.

He thanked his staff and students for their commitment and enthusiasm, and paid tribute to the sustained involvement of the State Government and Flinders University in the project.

“The ASMS partnership with Flinders University is very much about the search for better science and mathematics education for all South Australian students and our joint work in this regard is having impact in other SA schools and around the country,” Mr Davies said.

The ASMS was the only Australian school to receive an award in the Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators. The Sustainable Futures program taught within the school has also won international awards.

The last survey conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research found that from the four ASMS graduating classes, 94 per cent of students were accepted into University after Year 12, against the national benchmark of 68 per cent.