Students from Waimea Heights Primary School have secured a place in the prestigious national Future Problem Solving competition.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Nick McKim, congratulated the team of four students from Waimea Heights, who will be one of sixteen primary schools competing at the national finals in Ivanhoe, Victoria on 20 October.

Mr McKim said the Future Problem Solving competition is designed to help students of all ages to learn how to solve real-life problems and think creatively about finding solutions to global problems.

"The Waimea Heights students have been working together to learn the creative, analytical and critical thinking skills needed to solve problems that are already beginning to have an effect on the world," he said.

"They have looked at topics including global warming and saving coral reefs; the growing use of technology and the problems it poses for work/life balance; and the ethics of individual needs compared with society's needs."

Year 5/6 teacher, Philippa Clymo said: "The Future Problem Solving program is a great learning tool because it teaches students how to think, as well as giving them practical skills and a positive outlook to solving large problems.

"The students in our class have all worked on the problems this year, and we're so proud that our team has made it into the finals in just our first year on the program."

Future Problem Solving is an international educational program for students of all ages from P - 12 that focuses on the development of creative thinking skills.

It centres on the skills of problem identification and positive solutions to those problems and it aims to give young people the skills to design and promote positive futures for the society in which they live. 

For further information:

Contact Philippa Clymo on 0428 283 873, philippa.clymo@education.tas.gov.au  or visit http://www.fpsp.org.au/

Please note that Philippa is teaching in class from Monday-Thursday and messages may be left with the school on 6237 5200.