Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last week I was saddened to learn that Mr Phil Tucker had announced his retirement as Principal of Westfield Sports High School. Westfield, which is in my electorate, is the first sports high school in Australia and it is, frankly, one of the best schools in Australia. It was Phil Tucker’s idea to set up a sports high school and he has led it for many years. Westfields Sports High School is recognised internationally as being world’s best practice. In fact, delegations from the following nations have visited Westfields Sports High School to learn about how they operate: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. Those nations have set up schools based on the Westfields model. As well, the school has had visitors from the USA, Croatia, the Netherlands and Denmark to see how it operates.

As I said, Westfields Sports High is one of the best schools in Australia, either public or private. It is the best school in New South Wales officially in softball, netball, rugby union, basketball, athletics and cricket. To see this, all you have to do is visit Westfields Sports High and see their hall of fame where every Westfields Sports High student who has ever represented Australia has their photo on the wall—and there are about 100 across the range of sports. Just in the recent soccer world cup, four members of Australia’s team were students from one high school—Westfields Sports High School in my electorate. This included Harry Kewell, with whom I had a very happy childhood, growing up in the same street. We used to play soccer in our cul-de-sac and I am sure the House will be shocked to learn he always used to beat me.

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