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© Queensland Government

A Master Reef Guide and three school students float in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef. One student with a clipboard takes notes as the guide, holding an orange flotation device, provides instructions.

The Great Barrier Reef becomes Queensland’s largest classroom

For over three years, an innovative $3.5 million program transformed the Great Barrier Reef into the state's largest outdoor classroom, encouraging hands-on education and responsible reef tourism.

Background

The Great Barrier Reef Education Experience Program was designed to revitalise the Queensland reef tourism industry, which faced significant economic challenges due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Between June 2021 and December 2024, the innovative $3.5 million program transformed the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area into the state's biggest outdoor classroom. It aimed to:

• encourage hands-on environmental education for Queensland school students
• stimulate new market travel
• promote the role of responsible reef tourism and best-practice reef interpretation.

The program provided subsidies of up to $150 per student directly to primary and secondary schools to offset travel costs for school trips that include a reef experience with a registered commercial reef tourism operator.

“The Great Barrier Reef is the best classroom in the world. The opportunity to immerse yourself in this environment so you can learn while experiencing it – there’s nothing like it; it’s the best way to learn.” - Cindy Rohan, Science Teacher at Cairns State High School (2024 media statement)

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority produced educational resources inviting students to ‘Be a Marine Biologist for a Day’. These resources complemented the program by assisting teachers, reef tourism operators and guides in delivering high-quality experiential learning excursions.

Eligibility

For the students to be eligible for the subsidy, school excursion itineraries had to include at least one curriculum-related reef activity facilitated by a commercial reef tourism operator within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage boundaries.

Reef tourism operators registered with the program had to submit an expression of interest and confirm their eligibility, which included:

• blue cards for all staff engaging with students
• a Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority permit with permission to conduct a tourist program within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
• an eligible reef experience aligned to the Australian and Queensland school curriculum
• capacity to provide the risk assessment documentation and safety advice required by schools for the activities
• recognised as a:
  • High Standard Tourism Operator by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
  • Best of Queensland Experience by Tourism and Events Queensland
  • marine research provider.

Program achievements

• 621 reef education excursions approved for the subsidy
• 30,255 Queensland primary and secondary students approved for the subsidy
• 32 reef tourism operators delivering educational excursions
• $2,525,306 in travel subsidies approved
• $16.6 million in excursion spend reported by schools
• 55% of approved excursions involved an overnight stay
• 345 excursions travelled 499 kilometres or more
• 70% of school excursions undertaken by state schools
• Schools from 42 local government areas approved for the subsidy

© Queensland Government

Five young people snorkel above coral in the Great Barrier Reef, with a pontoon and commercial reef tourism operator boat visible above the water.