south australia department for education strategic plan

DIGITAL STRATEGY

2023 to 2026.

Embracing today, shaping tomorrow

Now more than ever, digital technology is transforming how we learn and work. By embracing the opportunities provided by today’s technology, we can shape the future of our education system for generations to come.

Digital technologies enable and empower schools and preschools to deliver world-leading education, and help children and students to thrive in a digital world. 

Our Digital Strategy focuses on 5 key areas to help enable learning and growth for every child, in every class, in every school and preschool across South Australia.

We're going to:

• strengthen our digital foundations
• build our capability
• maximise the benefits of digital technologies for teaching and learning
• streamline and modernise our operations
• mobilise ICT support where it is needed.

It's a roadmap to improve our approach to digital across the system and to position our students for the future.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge that work undertaken to develop this Digital Strategy took place mainly on the traditional lands of the Kaurna people, and we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today. We also pay respects to the cultural authority of traditional owners from other areas across South Australia.

Learn about all initiatives in the Digital Strategy

3 tech prizes were to be won in 2022. congratulations to the winning schools , learn about all initiatives in the digital strategy .

Open a world of possibilities

Our vision is for world-leading digital teaching, learning and operations.

We want an education system where:

•  all children and students have engaging and empowering digital learning experiences which help to improve achievement and better prepare them to live, learn and work in the future
• all educators are equipped to deliver effective and authentic digitally-enabled teaching to the benefit of all children and students
• all preschools, children’s centres and schools have the expertise, systems and supports to continually improve their digital approach, including providing their students and educators with equitable access to devices and technologies
• all central staff have the technology and digital capability they need to work effectively and productively, delivering the services, programs and policy our education system needs to be world-leading.

How we listened and what we heard

To shape the digital vision for our education system and build the strategy, we listened to thousands of South Australians through a statewide survey, multiple workshops, in-depth discussions and school case studies. Staff, leaders, parents, students and experts told us what is working well, and how we could better use digital technologies in our classrooms and workspaces. We heard about the value of digital technologies in education, and how some schools and preschools are using them to accelerate growth for every child. We also heard about the value of digital technologies for students’ skills and future careers. There was strong consensus for an education system that:

• is underpinned by a clear vision and priorities for digital technologies
• is equitable, delivering reliable and functional access for every student and staff member, no matter their location
• supports schools and preschools to drive their own digital development, improving the way they use digital technologies for their students, staff and community
• embeds digital capability as a core consideration for both staff and students
• delivers high quality resources for educators to help them effectively integrate technologies into their practice
• leverages digital technologies to reduce administrative burden on schools and make our system more efficient and effective.

To support what we heard from people in our system, we also commissioned comprehensive research to help us understand the evidence about the impact of digital technologies in teaching (PDF 692KB) , and how high performing education systems around the world use digital technologies for the benefit of their staff and students (PDF 1MB) . Read the research reports to find out more.

‘The potential for change with digital is huge and I am excited to help create that change.’ – School support staff, regional secondary school

‘Students need to be able to access digital technologies when and how they need. Teachers need to be empowered to provide learning environments and opportunities to challenge students within the digital space – to show creativity and understanding, to gain knowledge and skills.’ – Educator, metro primary school

‘We need an aspirational, but realistic strategy that can be enacted and utilised by all schools and preschools, to support our ambition to be a world-class education system.’ – Leader, metro high school

Building on our achievements

Over the last 4 years, we’ve laid the digital foundations for this strategy.

• We’ve rolled out high-speed fibre-optic internet to 99% of schools across South Australia (including 8 in the APY lands), providing high-speed internet for over 180,000 students and 23,000 teachers through the SWiFT.
• We’ve delivered modern, world-leading ICT infrastructure within all preschools and more than 280 schools across the state.
• We’ve implemented a fully managed ICT service in our preschools, delivering upgraded ICT infrastructure, new devices, printers and technologies through the Preschool Upgrade Project (PUP).
• We’re rolling out the modern, student-centred, Education Management System (EMS) to all South Australian public schools and preschools. EMS delivers enhanced education and administration capabilities and creates a single student record that follows the student throughout their public education history. We've now transitioned 36% of our sites (322) from previous systems EDSAS or EYS to EMS. This includes 280 preschools (73% of the network) and 42 schools (8%). These figures will continue to grow as we implement rollouts at an accelerated rate throughout 2023 and 2024.  
• We’ve implemented improved ICT support to schools, both locally and via remote capabilities, including on-the-ground support to over 250 schools across the state.
• We’ve implemented a range of world-leading technologies to digitise and automate the way we work to make daily tasks simple and easy, and to free up time across the system to allow our staff to focus on children and young people.

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Now it’s time to take what we’ve done and learned and support every school, preschool and education site across the state to use digital technologies to their full effect.

Now it’s time to take what we learned and support every school, preschool and education site across the state to use digital technologies to their full effect.

Measuring success

Our vision is for world-leading digital teaching, learning and operations. Within our education system, staff and students will have access to the high-quality technologies they need and the skills to use them to full potential. Digital technologies will be seamlessly integrated and students will have engaging and empowering digital learning experiences.

Between now and 2026 we'll:

• increase the average level of digital maturity of South Australian government schools measured by our new digital maturity assessment tool
• increase the average level of digital literacy of our students, and reduce the proportion of students below a benchmark expectation, measured by our new student digital skills program
• support access to a personal digital device for each secondary student who would benefit from one for their learning
• ensure an average device access ratio of 1 device for every 3 students across all our primary schools
• ensure every educator has access to a personal device for their work
• ensure all of our preschools and schools have modern ICT infrastructure
• technologies are integrated into teaching and learning
• their integration of technology into the curriculum has been successful
• their professional development in the use of technologies for teaching and learning has been successful
• their school or preschool has strong leadership and a strong culture for the use of technologies
• they have adequate technical support.

Timeline for implementation

2023 – key actions

• Pilot digital maturity assessment tool and support to initial tranche of schools.
• Roll-out initial devices to School Card students in years 10 to 12.
• Continue deployment of home internet solutions to families in need.
• Continue business improvement support for schools and start delivering it to central (corporate) offices.
• Deliver initial tranche of teaching and learning technology advice.
• Launch Digital Technology Resource Hub.

2024 – key actions

• Establish the Digital Guarantee Unit.
• Launch primary and secondary student device programs.
• Launch staff device initiative.
• Launch staff and student digital skills programs.
• Roll-out digital maturity assessment and support to broader tranche of schools.
• Expand teaching and learning technology advice.
• Complete ICT infrastructure uplifts across metropolitan primary schools.

2025 – key actions

• Roll out digital maturity assessment and support for all remaining schools system-wide.
• Assess progress of those schools who completed their assessment in initial tranches.
• Progress uptake of all other initiatives.
• Start strategy evaluation to assess progress and outcomes.

Digital Strategy competition 

3 tech prizes were to be won in our 2022 competition – congratulations to the following schools for their winning submissions:, peterborough primary school.

Prize 1 VR/AR Education Kit with 30 headsets and devices + Augmented Reality Core upgrade + Ricoh Theta SC2 camera + professional development day for teachers.

Port Elliot Primary School

Prize 2 (regional) pop-up Lumination Learning Lab at your school + Department for Education Future Education Kit (VR/AR technology, drones, VR creation 360° camera, and robotics).

Banksia Park International High School

Prize 3 (metro) full-day class excursion to Lumination Learning Lab + Department for Education Future Education Kit (VR/AR technology, drones, VR creation 360° camera, and robotics).

Department for Education Strategic Plan – Towards 2028

A copy of the updated iteration of the Strategic Plan – Towards 2028 outlines the steps we are taking as we strive for a world-class public education system.

The plan focuses on the six key levers and outlines the reforms we will implement over the next 3 years to help us achieve growth for every child and student, in every public school and preschool in South Australia.

This strategic plan is for everyone. To achieve this goal, we need a coalition committed to our world-class ambition. A coalition of leaders, educators, staff, parents and carers, communities, employers and industry.

For more information, please click on the following links:

Strategic Plan – Towards 2028 – www.education.sa.gov.au/world-class

Plan on a page – www.education.sa.gov.au/world-class

2021 Action Plan – www.education.sa.gov.au/world-class

Supporting Student Voice, Agency and Wellbeing in Schools

Digital strategy survey, woodville high school features on q&a.

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South Australian Skills Plan

Consultation has concluded. Thanks for your contributions.

Help us develop a new South Australian Skills Plan to shape the strategic agenda for reform and delivery of a high performing skills system in our state.

What's being decided?

Skills SA is seeking feedback on the concept for the South Australian Skills Plan to ensure it meets the needs of learners, workers, employers, industry and the community.

Hearing from you to better understand your aspirations or any concerns will inform the development of a Plan that meets the needs of South Australia. Skills SA is committed to ongoing, meaningful engagement and consultation with all those who have a stake in the development of a world class South Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system.

We believe that South Australia's VET system should reflect the needs and aspirations of its users, while contributing to the economic and social well-being of all South Australians.

We want to ensure that our Plan is based on what matters to you.

In developing the South Australian Skills Plan Concept , Skills SA undertook initial engagement with stakeholders to seek feedback on the opportunities and challenges for the sector through workshops and interviews held in early 2022.

This initial engagement with students, employers, industry, and training providers showed a need to:

• Improve the cultural perception and attractiveness of VET as a credible pathway to increase participation and skill levels
• Reduce VET system complexity, enhance collaboration, connectivity and responsiveness in the sector and improve ease of navigation for learners at all stages
• Collaborate to improve service offerings and design new innovative products, services and solutions
• Expand the capacity and capability of training providers to develop and deliver flexible, relevant, high-quality products and services to customers
• Improve workforce planning and pathway mapping that informs funding support and learner journeys
• Ensure appropriate measures of success that focus on outcomes for learners, industry and the economy.

We are now seeking input from stakeholders on the Skills Plan Concept and the Concept Summary to validate what we have heard from stakeholders on where we are now and help shape priorities for future responses.

Get involved

Find out more:

View the South Australian Skills Plan Concept and Concept Summary which provides an overview of:

• the focus areas of the Plan,
• where we are now,
• what we want to achieve and,
• how we will create change.

Have your say:

• Complete our short online survey
• we will be hosting a number of stakeholder workshops in regional and metropolitan areas. To register your attendance at one of the workshops visit the Eventbrite registration page
• submit your feedback or send your submission to [email protected]
• ask your questions via the Questions and Answers Tool
• post your written submission to:

Department for Education

GPO Box 320 Adelaide SA 5001

What are the next steps?

Feedback received through YourSAy, submissions, and stakeholder workshops will be considered and used to inform the final South Australian Skills Plan for South Australia.

Do you have questions on the Skills Plan Concept?

Provide your questions here and a team member will respond to you as soon as possible.

• Port Augusta Workshop 06 December 2022
• Online Workshop 08 December 2022
• Closure 12 December 2022

This consultation is open for contributions.

Pending Outcome

Contributions to this engagement will close on 12 December 2022 for evaluation and review.

Final report

The outcome of the engagement will be documented here once the feedback has been considered and the Skills Plan finalised.

• How has the Department got to this point in the development of the Skills Plan Concept?
• How did you come up with the 3 focus areas?
• Who has the Department already consulted with? (Internal/External)
• Are the needs of learners being considered as part of the South Australian Skills Plan? If yes, how?
• How will the Skills Plan respond and adapt to the emerging needs of employers, industry and Government more broadly?
• Who will be responsible for the implementation and long-term monitoring of the plan and its outcomes, including post 2033?
• How does the South Australian Skills Plan relate to other Education related initiatives?
• What makes this plan different to previous South Australian skills plans or strategies?
• How does the South Australian Skills Plan connect or relate to the South Australian Skills Commission Strategic Plan?
• How will the Skills Plan respond to immediate skills needs?

Who's Listening

Project Manager

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Department for Education – South Australia

Education Development Centre 4 Milner Street Hindmarsh SA 5007

+61 8 8226 2402

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Organisation Overview

Learning Improvement Division provides support for teaching and learning to 850 departmental schools and preschools, to develop students as forward thinkers, innovators, leaders and shapers of an adaptable knowledge-based economy and society.

A STEM Learning Strategy (2017-2020) has been developed to underpin STEM learning from preschool to year 12, and develop cutting edge teaching and learning across our schools.

One of our goals is to develop dynamic partnerships between industry and schools, to ensure learning is relevant, builds greater career awareness and meets industry needs. Students experience inter-disciplinary STEM learning, applying their skills in new ways using collaboration, problem-solving and critical/creative thinking.

Expertise and Capabilities

Learning Improvement has a network of 150 staff supporting STEM learning capacity through professional learning, direct site support in multi-disciplinary teams, educational research and strategic planning.

139 South Australian schools have received up to $3.5 million each on infrastructure upgrades to support STEM learning. We have specialised staff to assist in linking schools with industry to develop partnerships and support curriculum which is connected to a local/global industry context.

Using an individualised approach, this provides benefits to students including STEM learning and industry exposure, and to industry by providing R&D, workforce and professional development and access to our state-wide networks.

Unique Selling Points

The STEM Learning Strategy includes co-designing career development approaches with DECD, industry and tertiary institutions to increase student awareness of STEM pathways, and an annual STEM Leaders’ Symposium to share best practice.

Several high-performing STEM schools are also providing statewide STEM professional learning.

The federally-funded Advanced Technology Project supports 24 schools, developing STEM learning with links to advanced manufacturing, maritime, defence and space technology. Learning Improvement contributes funding towards external organisations to support systemic STEM learning. This includes NAMIG/ STEMNation/Concept2Creation programs, Royal Institute of Australia’s ‘Australia’s Science Channel’ and related programs, and the Beacon Foundation.

You may also be interested in:

INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

The Space Industry Directory provides a snapshot of the ever-evolving South Australian space community.

Keep up to date with the latest news on space innovation and key industry developments in Australia and around the globe.

Precincts & Projects

South Australia’s renewed focus on innovation, together with advancements in space technologies and markets, has resulted in big opportunities for the state.

South Australia is primed to …

We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, water, sky and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.

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Premier of South Australia

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Strategic Plan for South Australian Feral Deer Eradication Program

The state government has released a strategic plan for the 10-year south australian feral deer eradication program..

The Strategic Plan for the South Australian Feral Deer Eradication Program 2022-32 , which aligns with the National Feral Deer Management Plan released in August, has been developed to guide the eradication effort, and to better manage farmed deer within the state, building on the success of the program’s first year.

Regarded as one of Australia’s worst pest animals in both rural and peri-urban areas, feral deer cost South Australian primary producers an estimated $36 million in direct productivity losses last year. In addition to primary industry costs, feral deer have significant impacts on the environment and road safety.

At the time of the eradication program’s commencement in May 2022 there was an estimated 40,000 feral deer in the state. In its first 18 months, over 11,000 feral deer have been removed from the South Australian landscape.

The South Australian Feral Deer Eradication Program is a statewide partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Landscape SA Board, the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), SA Water, ForestrySA and Livestock SA. The program is jointly funded by both the Australian and South Australian Governments and the SA Landscape Boards.

This Strategic Plan has been endorsed by the Chairs of the regional Landscape Boards in feral deer impacted regions (Eyre Peninsula, Hills and Fleurieu, Limestone Coast, Murraylands and Riverland and Northern and Yorke) and the Chief Executives of PIRSA, DEW, SA Water and ForestrySA.

The goals of the Strategic Plan are to:

* Eradicate feral deer from South Australia in 10-years. * Engage with stakeholders to promote coordinated, landscape-scale, feral deer control and build capacity for implementation. * Prevent harboring of feral deer, and the illegal release and escape of farmed deer through the enforcement of best practice fencing and tagging standards.

In South Australia feral deer are declared for destruction under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 , meaning land managers are required to destroy all feral deer on their land. In addition to landholders investing their own funds for control, eradication programs in South Australia currently cost government about $1.1 million a year.

Compared to eastern state populations, the South Australian feral deer numbers are still considered low enough for the opportunity to completely eradicate the pest. Recent independent analysis of the 10-year eradication program against business-as-usual management of feral deer indicates that the program will generate a net benefit to the community of $525 million over a 10-year period.

Attributable to Clare Scriven

Feral deer are causing significant and growing impacts on primary industries, our environment and hazards on our roads.

South Australia's $17.3 billion primary industries and agribusiness sector is a vital part of our economy, supporting 71,000 jobs across the state, making the eradication of feral deer vitally important.

Eradicating feral deer is a priority for the South Australian Government and the livestock industry, particularly in areas where feral deer densities and impacts are greatest such as the Limestone Coast, Northern and Yorke and Hills and Fleurieu regions.

It is why we are investing more than $2 million over a four-year period towards the SA Feral Deer Eradication Program from June 2021 through to June 2025.

The sustained and co-ordinated culling efforts conducted under the South Australian Feral Deer Eradication Program provide our best chance of achieving eradication of this destructive pest and protecting our state’s environment and primary production sector.

The success of South Australia’s approach to date is already leading to interstate interest in how we are tackling the issue of feral deer.

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South Australia

Department for education.

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Progress as planned.

The implementation of our Early Learning Strategy is well underway, with 100% of the 36 actions ‘on track’ or ‘completed’ and 12 future actions to commence in the next 2 to 5 years.

You can see our progress over the first 12-month of implementation and our planned actions for the next 2 to 5 years in the report card for year 1 .

Early Learning Strategy – investing $50.1m over 4 years

We know the first 5 years of a child’s life is when they build the foundational skills and abilities they need to be successful at school and in life. To better support parents and their children in these early years, we’re investing an initial $50.1 million over the first 4 years of our 10-year  Early Learning Strategy 2021 to 2031: All young children thriving and learning (PDF 2.7MB) .

This investment is allowing us to:

• expand the reach, frequency and number of child development checks including a new touch point at 12 months and 3 years
• give parents easy access to tips and resources to support their child’s development
• provide teachers with new resources to build on the high-quality learning and development in every public preschool
• provide strategic vision and direction across the early years system through the new Office for the Early Years in the Department for Education (department).

Parents and carers are central to our approach. They are their children's first teachers and we will continue to support them to be engaged in their child’s early learning.

Download the strategy

Download the Early Learning Strategy on a page (PDF 500KB) which summarises the short, medium and long term actions to deliver the strategy.

Watch the video – Early Learning Strategy 2021 to 2031: All Young Children Thriving and Learning (1 minute 28 seconds)

Feedback on the strategy

During development over 2020 and 2021, we heard from parents, community members, teachers and other early education and care workers, leaders and experts in education, child development and health. The strategy also reflects world’s best practice in early childhood development and learning.

Feedback shaped the key themes and future directions of the strategy, as reflected in the  public consultation report (PDF 813KB) .

Vision and goals

The vision for the Early Learning Strategy is for all young children to thrive and learn.

Our goals are:

• strong partnerships across government and non-governments sectors to increase the proportion of children developmentally ‘on track’, regardless of background or location, with additional specific support provided to Aboriginal children and children in complex situations
• well-supported parents highly engaged with their children, so children can learn and reach their potential
• high-quality educational preschool programs underpinned by excellence in teaching and learning.

Early Childhood Services and Strategy

Phone: 8226 2921

Email : Education.ELS [at] sa.gov.au

Related information

• South Australia’s outcomes framework for children and young people: how are they faring? – South Australia’s 2020 report card for children and young people

Other pages in this section

• Our strategy for public education
• Digital Strategy overview
• Country Education Strategy
• Music Education Strategy
• Aboriginal Education Strategy
• Reconciliation Action Plan
• Disability access and inclusion
• Workforce Strategy
• Specialist Teacher Workforce Plan
• Career Education and Pathways Strategy
• TAFE SA roadmap for the future
• Review of the Construction Industry Training Fund Act 1993
• Purpose statement for public education
• South Australian Skills Plan
• 20-Year Infrastructure Plan for Public Education and Care

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Page last updated: 19 Jul 2023

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