1000th PEF Scholar recognised

Since the inception of Public Education Foundation’s (PEF) scholarships program 10 years ago, over 1000 students have been supported with scholarships. The 1000th scholar, Daniel Lahood from Ashfield Boys High was recognised at the Proudly Public Awards Ceremony 2019 at Sydney Town Hall. He is a recipient of the 2019 Union NSW Jeff Shaw Memorial Scholarship.

“When I reflect on the life of The Hon Jeff Shaw, it is an inspiration to me as I feel we both represent very similar values, especially as staunch defenders and advocates for public education in NSW,” Lahood said. “The opportunities I have been given at Ashfield Boys High School to assist me in following my dream career paths of law and politics is more than I have ever could have asked for.”

This year PEF will have disbursed over $3 million in scholarship funding, with over 180 new scholarships awarded this year. With the support of generous donors and partners, each year the scholarship program has expanded to meet the educational needs of students facing disadvantage and to recognise excellence in our public schools.

The Secretary of the Department of Education, Mark Scott, thanked the Public Education Foundation for its ongoing support of public education in NSW.

“These scholarships are about recognising and rewarding student excellence to encourage high-achieving students to continue to maximise their potential,” Scott said.

David Hetherington, PEF executive director, said the awards were about celebrating “enduring values of our public education system, a system that provides the greatest of all opportunities for young people to succeed in life”.

“It has been an enormous privilege to work with so many inspiring students and educators who recognise the transformational power of education,” Hetherington said.

The Public Education Foundation works in collaboration with the schools, communities, business and both the state and federal governments to provide equity and excellence scholarships for students and educators in public education.