Education News

Few Australian stories have captured the imagination of students and teachers as enduringly as Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia. For more than two decades, Tan's work has invited young people to explore worlds where the ordinary and extraordinary collide, opening space for conversations about identity, belonging, family, change and the complexities of growing up. 

The animated adaptation has brought that same spirit of curiosity and wonder to a new generation. Across Australian classrooms, the series has inspired students not only to engage with stories, but to ask questions, embrace uncertainty and imagine new possibilities. 

A key part of this impact has been the Tales from Outer Suburbia Education Resource, developed by the ACTF in partnership with Dr Susan Bye, Flying Bark Productions, Highly Spirited and Allen & Unwin. Designed for Years 5 - 8, the resource combines classroom activities, creative challenges and exclusive behind-the-scenes content that explores how Tan's stories were adapted from page to screen. Supported by a specially commissioned illustration by Shaun Tan, it encourages students to discover the extraordinary in everyday places while building critical and creative thinking skills. 

Educators have responded enthusiastically to both the series and the accompanying resources. Library Manager Karys McEwen described one of the project's greatest strengths: 

"Perhaps the greatest benefit of the series and its accompanying resources is that they trust young people. They assume students are capable of complexity. They invite them into ambiguity rather than pushing them away from it. They value imagination, interpretation and emotional nuance. Sometimes the most powerful learning begins not with certainty, but with wonder." 

That idea of trusting young people has resonated deeply with teachers. Rather than providing easy answers, Tales from Outer Suburbia encourages students to sit with uncertainty, explore multiple interpretations and engage in rich discussions about the world around them. For many educators, this has become one of the series' defining qualities. 

ACTF Education Manager Bridget Hanna and Tales from Outer Suburbia Creative Director Shaun Tan on stage at Talking Tales with Shaun Tan

The response was particularly evident through Talking Tales with Shaun Tan, a national learning event delivered in partnership with ACMI. The event attracted 738 registrations from 395 schools and reached 24,674 students, giving Years 5 and 6 students across Australia the rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the country's most celebrated storytellers. 

Teachers reported extraordinary levels of engagement. Long after the event ended, students continued discussing the stories, creating artwork and developing their own imaginative worlds inspired by Tan's work. One school described students becoming "obsessed" with Eric, hiding drawings of the beloved character throughout classrooms and school spaces for others to discover. At another school, students chose to spend their lunch breaks continuing to write stories and illustrate new characters inspired by the series and writing prompts during the session. 

These moments offer powerful evidence of the way Australian stories can inspire learning. They show students moving beyond passive viewing to become creators, collaborators and storytellers themselves.

The learning experience extended further through Animating Tales from Outer Suburbia, a hybrid in-person and online event presented with ACMI. Through conversations with Creative Director Shaun Tan, Series Director Noel Cleary and Producer Sophie Byrne, students, tertiary learners and emerging creatives gained unique insight into the creative process behind bringing the stories to life on screen. 

Teachers were also supported through the Tales from Outer Suburbia Professional Learning program, co-delivered with Dr Susan Bye. With 369 teachers from 135 schools registered, the sessions explored practical approaches to teaching creative writing, visual literacy and critical thinking through both the original book and the television adaptation. Together with freely accessible resources, recordings and supporting video content, these materials continue to support classroom learning across Australia. 

The success of Tales from Outer Suburbia highlights something uniquely valuable about Australian children's screen content. At its best, it does more than entertain. It creates opportunities for young people to think deeply, ask questions, see their own experiences reflected on screen and connect with ideas that matter. 

As more schools continue to discover the series and its educational resources, Tales from Outer Suburbia is building a lasting place in Australian classrooms. Its impact can be measured not only in registrations and participation numbers, but in the drawings left around classrooms, the conversations that continue after the bell rings and the sense of wonder it inspires in young people across the country. 

Tales from Outer Suburbia can be streamed on ABC iview or downloaded to own from the ACTF Shop. You can explore the Tales from Outer Suburbia teaching resource here.