On Saturday 19th July 2014, students currently studying in high school and parents attended an education seminar held at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Melbourne, Australia. The primary aim of the seminar was to help students and their parents better understand the Australian school system and pathways into tertiary studies.
The seminar began with a question and answer session where students from high school shared their perspectives on education and spoke about the pressure to perform academically. This was followed by presentations on the Victorian education system also known as VCE and ATAR, with valuable advice on subject selection and the scaling of marks.
The guest speaker shared his life experiences of the system in Australia and achieving professional success.
The highlight of the event was a panel discussion with successful students and professionals from amongst the BAPS youths of Sydney. The discussion allowed the audience to look into the future as these youths shared their experience on study techniques, study-life balance, career opportunities and the importance of satsang and a positive environment whilst in school.
Throughout the informal session afterwards, many parents asked further questions to the presenters and panel members at the stalls. The seminar was well received by both parents and students and helped to create a common understanding which will benefit all in the long run.