State Budget delivers boost to regional and rural education

The 2008-09 State Budget will boost education in regional and rural Victoria delivering on the Brumby Labor Government’s commitment to give children the best possible education no matter where they live.

The Treasurer, John Lenders, said the Brumby Labor Government would replace, rebuild and modernise schools across regional and rural Victoria to ensure young Victorians were well-supported by high-quality school facilities.

“Education is the Brumby Labor Government’s number-one priority and we are taking action now to give children and young people the best education by providing the best possible facilities, the best programs and the best learning environment,” Mr Lenders said.

“Our Government’s record is strong but because we want our young Victorians living in regional and rural areas we are taking action to further strengthen and improve education services.”

Mr Lenders said the State Budget would deliver a major capital works improvement plan for regional and rural Victoria including;

• $39 million to modernise nine schools in regional Victoria – Bacchus Marsh PS, Chaffey SC, Colac South West PS, Daylesford PC, Koroit and District PS, Lara SC, Maffra PS, Wangaratta West PS and Wodonga PS;
• $19 million to build three new replacement schools at Anglesea PS, Bass Coast Specialist School and Wodonga South PS; and
• $16 million to the Secure the Future of Small Rural Schools program, replacing relocatable buildings at the following country primary schools – Alberton; Buln Buln; Darnum; Eagle Point; Grahamvale; Horsham West – Haven (Haven campus); Woady Yaloak – Snake Valley campus; Newham.

Mr Lenders said $8 million would go towards completing Stage 3 of Wallan Secondary College, ensuring local students and teachers have the best facilities to meet their needs; and $49.1million would continue or commence school regeneration programs in Colac and Bendigo.

“At the last election, we pledged to rebuild, renovate or extend every Government school in Victoria and the State Budget brings forward the second tranche of our Victorian Schools Plan and more families in regional and rural Victoria will soon see the benefits of our commitment,” he said.

Schools across regional Victoria will also share in $26 million allocated to build new, environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient relocatable classrooms. Relocatable classrooms enable flexibility within the education system, allowing schools to manage with fluctuations in student numbers during capital works and emergencies such as fires or storms.

“This record investment is part of the Brumby Labor Government’s plan to boost the skills and education of young Victorians and make Victoria the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Mr Lenders said.

Mr Lenders said regional schools would also benefit from the continuation of the successful Literacy Improvement Teams.

“Statewide, an additional $22.1 million has been allocated over four years to continue the employment of 45 literacy specialists to help schools lift the reading and writing skills of children who need extra support,” he said.

“This funding will also employ an additional 15 Koorie learning specialists to improve the literacy standards of Indigenous students.”

Mr Lenders said the Brumby Labor Government wanted children in regional Victoria to be better-equipped to meet their full potential which is why they would benefit from a $71.4 million over four years boost to provide more targeted support to schools to help lift their performance and provide incentives for a higher-achieving teacher workforce.

The support package includes: incentives for the best teachers and school leaders to work in those schools where they are needed most; rewarding high-achieving principals with executive contracts; partnering lower-performing schools with high-performing schools for coaching and support; and professional development for school councils, principals and teachers in areas of identified need.

Mr Lenders said regional and rural Victorian students who require additional assistance would benefit from an investment of $33.2 million over four years to provide an extra 70 Student Support Officers – such as guidance officers, social workers, speech pathologists and psychologists – and 10 Support Co-ordinators to work with schools statewide.

Other initiatives regional students will share in are:

• $35 million for smaller modernisations and upgrades to up to 70 additional schools under the Better Schools Today program;
• $7.6 million over four years to employ up to 75 outstanding graduates in government schools, providing intensive teacher training, internships with leading employers and coaching opportunities. These teachers will be placed in hard-to-staff subject areas in secondary schools;
• $7.3 million to improve Year 12 completion rates through more support for Vocational Education and Training in schools;
• $7 million for additional computers in schools;
• $2.8 million for grants to help students access specialist science centres, targeted maths and science programs and business and industry projects; and
• $2 million to the Community Engagement Project – so that parents and communities better understand the leading-edge teaching practices in our classrooms.

Mr Lenders said young Victorians across the State would be given the best possible start in life, with the Brumby Labor Government announcing a $78.9 million early childhood package to make youngsters more school ready.

The early childhood package includes $16.5 million over four years to monitor and regulate family day care and outside school hours care, giving parents greater assurance and young children better education and care.

“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to help young Victorian families get the best possible start in life,” Mr Lenders said.

The $16.5 million funding will underpin the Brumby Labor Government’s new Children’s Services Bill which will regulate family daycare and outside school hours care for the first time.

“We are providing parents with greater confidence in these forms of childcare by enforcing minimum safety and developmental standards and doubling penalties for centres that commit safety breaches,” he said.

“New staff will be employed to help administer the Act, including licensing, monitoring and supporting the 84 family day care centres, which have more than 3000 family day carers, and 900 outside school hours care services.”

Capital grants up of to $1000 will be provided to services to ensure compliance with the new Act.

Mr Lenders said the funding built on $10.5 million over five years announced earlier this year to ensure children are ready for school once they complete kindergarten.

“Children moving from kindergarten to school will have new Transition Statements, so their parents and new schools can track their development and interests, as well as noting learning difficulties, disabilities or developmental delays to help plan individual support programs,” he said.

Other 2008-09 initiatives funded under this $78.9 million early years package are:

• $5.2 million over four years to provide free kindergarten programs of up to five hours a week for three-year-olds known to child protection services;
• $15.1 million over four years for disadvantaged families to promote home learning and improved access to supported playgroups for disadvantaged families, delivering play groups to up to 2000 disadvantaged families; and
• $29 million to support children with disabilities to Early Childhood Intervention Service (ECIS) 1000 places and an additional Kindergarten Inclusion Support Services (KISS) placements and workforce strategies.

“The Brumby Labor Government understands the value parents place on early childhood development and is taking action to address the challenge of providing the best quality early childhood services for Victorian families,” Mr Lenders said.

Mr Lenders said the Brumby Labor Government’s support for students also extended to skills and training. The Budget committed almost $30 million for capital works and equipment upgrades for three of the state’s leading regional TAFE institutes.

“Wodonga Institute of TAFE will receive $15.5 million over three years to develop the National Logistics and Driver Skills Centre, which will play a key role in addressing the future skills needs of the vital transport and logistics industry,” he said.

“The major revamp will feature sustainable design and include a new construction and engineering teaching centre, a new central administration building and improved recreation spaces and car parking.

“And $3.3 million will be been allocated for the construction of a three storey car park at the University of Ballarat’s School of Mines adjacent to the new Ballarat Technical Education Centre (TEC), which is also being built with State Government funding.”

Mr Lenders said the projects were in addition to the Government’s record TAFE capital investment of $359 million since 1999.

“These projects are great examples of how the Brumby Labor Government is responding to the needs of all Victorians, particularly those in regional and rural Victoria,” he said.