Media Releases

Swan Hill’s Year 12 students have received a major boost this year thanks to today’s announcement of grants from the Victorian Government’s $5 million Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund says Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh.
“Swan Hill Specialist School, along with its partners the Victorian College of Koorie Education and MacKillop College, has received $90,000 to address employability skills via developing learning opportunities whilst the Swan Hill College will use its grant of $50,000 to further develop its Flexible Learning Option Program,” Mr Walsh said.
“These grants have been awarded to the schools as a result of their excellent proposals for retaining students through to Year 12.
“It is well documented that students from regional schools are more likely to leave school before completing Year 12 than their metropolitan counterparts, however, programs such as these being developed in Swan Hill will go a long way to addressing this imbalance,” Mr Walsh said.
Minister for Education Martin Dixon said while the number of metropolitan students finishing school was going up, the government was committed to ensuring the same opportunities were available to rural and regional students.
“We know when a student completes school, the likelihood of them going on to achieve, succeed and become a skilled and valued contributor to society dramatically increases,” Mr Dixon said.
“Almost nine out of 10 metropolitan students are finishing school, but nearly a third of country students are leaving school early, and these new grants are a step toward addressing this issue.”
The Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund was created upon advice from the Rural Education Reference Group; a cross-sectoral group established by Minister Dixon to advise the government on initiatives specifically designed to support rural and regional schools.
“I am really keen to see the success of these retention programs as they are rolled out across Victoria,” Mr Dixon said.
“It is this government’s belief that schools are the ones best placed to determine what measures will be most effective for their students and I think the community will agree as graduating students become active members of the community and valuable contributors to the local economy.”

East Loddon students have received a major boost this year thanks to today’s announcement of grants from the Victorian Government’s $5 million Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund says Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh.
“The East Loddon P-12 College has received $41,500 to develop its Lifting Aspirations, Broadening Horizons program,” Mr Walsh said.
“This program provides personalised mentoring and transition support for all students in years 10 to 12 through the development of study skills and providing greater connection to tertiary institutions for the students.
“This grant has been awarded as a result of the excellent proposal put forward by the school for retaining students through to Year 12.
“It is well documented that students from regional schools are more likely to leave school before completing Year 12 than their metropolitan counterparts, however, programs such as these being developed in East Loddon will go a long way to addressing this imbalance,” Mr Walsh said.
Minister for Education Martin Dixon said while the number of metropolitan students finishing school was going up, the government was committed to ensuring the same opportunities were available to rural and regional students.
“We know when a student completes school, the likelihood of them going on to achieve, succeed and become a skilled and valued contributor to society dramatically increases,” Mr Dixon said.
“Almost nine out of 10 metropolitan students are finishing school, but nearly a third of country students are leaving school early, and these new grants are a step toward addressing this issue.”
The Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund was created upon advice from the Rural Education Reference Group; a cross-sectoral group established by Minister Dixon to advise the government on initiatives specifically designed to support rural and regional schools.
“I am really keen to see the success of these retention programs as they are rolled out across Victoria,” Mr Dixon said.
“It is this government’s belief that schools are the ones best placed to determine what measures will be most effective for their students and I think the community will agree as graduating students become active members of the community and valuable contributors to the local economy.”

The North Central Cluster Year 12 students have received a major boost this year thanks to today’s announcement of grants from the Victorian Government’s $5 million Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund says Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh.
“Charlton College, along with its partners Boort District, Wedderburn and Wycheproof P-12 Colleges, Pyramid Hill P-10, Donald High and St Arnaud Secondary College, has received $188,000 to develop its existing video links to broaden the delivery of some VCE and VCAL studies,” Mr Walsh said.
“This program will ensure that students are provided with opportunities to access a broader range of subjects thus better meeting their learning interests and needs.
“This grant has been awarded as a result of the schools’ excellent proposals put forward for retaining students through to Year 12.
“It is well documented that students from regional schools are more likely to leave school before completing Year 12 than their metropolitan counterparts, however, programs such as these being developed in the North Central Cluster will go a long way to addressing this imbalance,” Mr Walsh said.
Minister for Education Martin Dixon said while the number of metropolitan students finishing school was going up, the government was committed to ensuring the same opportunities were available to rural and regional students.
“We know when a student completes school, the likelihood of them going on to achieve, succeed and become a skilled and valued contributor to society dramatically increases,” Mr Dixon said.
“Almost nine out of 10 metropolitan students are finishing school, but nearly a third of country students are leaving school early, and these new grants are a step toward addressing this issue.”
The Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund was created upon advice from the Rural Education Reference Group; a cross-sectoral group established by Minister Dixon to advise the government on initiatives specifically designed to support rural and regional schools.
“I am really keen to see the success of these retention programs as they are rolled out across Victoria,” Mr Dixon said.
“It is this government’s belief that schools are the ones best placed to determine what measures will be most effective for their students and I think the community will agree as graduating students become active members of the community and valuable contributors to the local economy.”

Warracknabeal and region Year 12 students have received a major boost this year thanks to today’s announcement of grants from the Victorian Government’s $5 million Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund says Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh.
“Warracknabeal Secondary College, along with its partners Murtoa College, Dimboola Memorial and Goroke P-12 Colleges, has received $120,000 to develop its satellite VCAL program to support its re-engagement program,” Mr Walsh said.
“This program will facilitate collaboration between the four schools and will support richer learning experiences for their students.
“This grant has been awarded as a result of the excellent proposals put forward by the schools for retaining students through to Year 12.
“It is well documented that students from regional schools are more likely to leave school before completing Year 12 than their metropolitan counterparts, however, programs such as these being developed in Warracknabeal will go a long way to addressing this imbalance,” Mr Walsh said.
Minister for Education Martin Dixon said while the number of metropolitan students finishing school was going up, the government was committed to ensuring the same opportunities were available to rural and regional students.
“We know when a student completes school, the likelihood of them going on to achieve, succeed and become a skilled and valued contributor to society dramatically increases,” Mr Dixon said.
“Almost nine out of 10 metropolitan students are finishing school, but nearly a third of country students are leaving school early, and these new grants are a step toward addressing this issue.”
The Local Solutions Year 12 Retention Fund was created upon advice from the Rural Education Reference Group; a cross-sectoral group established by Minister Dixon to advise the government on initiatives specifically designed to support rural and regional schools.
“I am really keen to see the success of these retention programs as they are rolled out across Victoria,” Mr Dixon said.
“It is this government’s belief that schools are the ones best placed to determine what measures will be most effective for their students and I think the community will agree as graduating students become active members of the community and valuable contributors to the local economy.”

Warracknabeal Secondary College is among 18 Victorian schools participating in a unique program that will see high-performing university graduates combine study with a two-year teaching placement.
Peter Walsh, Member for Swan Hill, said 28 high-performing university graduates from fields as diverse as law and science would take up their posts in participating schools from Term 1 as part of the Teach for Australia program.
“The Teach for Australia participants come from different backgrounds but their energy, passion and dedication will no doubt serve them well as they take up their posts,” Mr Walsh said.
“Warracknabeal Secondary is among the 18 schools that are set to benefit from the program this year which attracts, trains and retrains some of our best and brightest university graduates and prepares them for a career in teaching.”
The latest intake of Teach for Australia associates join more than 70 people who have participated in the program in Victoria since it began in 2010.
Teach for Australia is part of the Federal Government’s $550 million Smarter Schools Quality Teaching National Partnership with states and territories.
The program aims to tackle educational disadvantage and participants will receive mentoring support throughout their two-year placement.

State President of The Nationals, Mr Peter Schwarz today announced The Nationals Scholarship for Young Leaders will run again in 2012. The scholarship will assist students from rural and regional Victoria in their chosen tertiary pathway.
“The Nationals are committed to ensuring that regional and rural young people continue to reach their potential through higher education and training opportunities.” Mr Schwarz said.
“The scholarship winners will be chosen based on their academic endeavours, local leadership qualities, community involvement and their commitment to rural life.”
The total value of the scholarship is $5,000 which may be shared amongst one or more successful applicants.
“The Scholarship for Young Leaders has been a great success in the many years The Nationals have committed to run the bursary. The response from students across the state has traditionally been of a high calibre and the quality of the applications shows the strength and resilience of young people from across country Victoria,” Mr Schwarz said.
Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, said the Scholarship was a fantastic initiative and encouraged eligible students to apply.
“The Nationals are proud to support regional and rural students pursuing their tertiary studies and promoting exceptional leadership qualities from future leaders, especially those committed to the future development of regional and rural Victoria.” Mr Walsh said.
The selection criteria for The Nationals Scholarship includes the applicant’s academic record, leadership qualities and community involvement.
It is intended that The Nationals Scholarship be awarded to students who are intending to return to or remain in the country after their course and demonstrate a career commitment that will ultimately benefit rural/regional Victoria. Special consideration may also be given to students in hardship situations.
“I would encourage all school leavers and young people progressing with tertiary studies in 2012 to consider applying for the Young Leaders Scholarship.” Mr Walsh said.
The application process will be open until February 24, 2012. Application forms can be downloaded from The Nationals website: www.vic.nationals.org.au

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, has welcomed the announcement of extra funding to support the employment of welfare officers in the region’s primary schools
Funding has been allocated to five schools in the electorate who currently don’t have access to these support personnel to assist in the drive to help stamp out bullying and provide additional support to students and families.
“I am very pleased that another Coalition election commitment has been met by the allocation of funding to support these schools,” Mr Walsh said.
“Kerang South and Nullawil Primary schools, Quambatook Group School and Tyrrell and Murtoa Colleges are among the first of almost 300 primary schools that will receive funding for a welfare officer.
“They join 17 other schools in the Swan Hill electorate who are already employing welfare officers to assist in the drive to eliminate bullying from our schools,” he said.
The expansion of the Primary Welfare Officer (PWO) initiative will deliver on the Coalition Government’s promise of an additional 150 welfare officers over the next four years to assist primary school students across the state ensuring that every Victorian primary school will eventually have access to a Primary Welfare Officer.
“Principals of primary schools where the program has operated have been incredibly supportive of the work of welfare officers and have reported enormous improvements in students’ behaviour, attendance, willingness to learn and general perception of themselves,” Education Minister Martin Dixon said.
Mr Dixon said the Primary Welfare Officers initiative would be supported by other measures to help teachers identify, prevent and manage bullying and behavioural issues.
Other commitments to improve student welfare include:
• $10.5 million for the eSmart initiative to help every government school and 300 Catholic and independent schools educate students about cybersafety and cyberbullying;
• $2 million over four years for teacher professional development to manage classroom behaviour;
• $4 million over four years to review and update bullying policies and programs for Victorian government schools.

Three local community organisations are set to boost learning across the Loddon and Buloke Shires thanks to a $25,000 grant from the State Government announced by Member for Swan Hill Peter Walsh, today.
The Wedderburn Community House, Boort Resource and Information Centre and the Wycheproof Community Resource Centre have developed a project which will build on the Gateways 4 Sustainable Communities project supporting improved training outcomes for young people throughout the region.
“The partnership developed by the Wedderburn, Boort and Wycheproof Community and Resource Centres will benefit businesses and the community alike,” Mr Walsh said when announcing the grant.
“This phase of the Gateways 4 Sustainable Communities project will focus on building relationships and workforce participation.
“It will introduce a new approach to specific challenges that take advantage of the unique opportunities this region provides to engage young people, communities and local businesses in improving training outcomes,” he said.
The funding is provided through Round 2 of the State Government’s Adult, Community and Further Education Board Capacity and Innovation Fund which has allocated grants totalling $3.78million to 80 Learn Local organisations across the State.
“The Capacity and Innovation Fund is an initiative that encourages innovation within adult education and supports a sector of the Victorian education system that already does vital work in supporting adult learners,” Mr Walsh said.
“I am thrilled that these 3 organisations have combined to develop this project and I look forward to seeing positive results coming from it as it is rolled out amongst the community,” he said.

Member for Swan Hill, Peter Walsh, impressed Parliament recently with the outstanding success of Tyrrell College’s business and community partnership program.
Speaking in Parliament Mr Walsh detailed the program, its partners and the benefits that are expected to flow from this partnership for local students.
“This program specifically targets one of the major issues facing our food and fibre producing industry, that of keeping young people involved in agriculture,” he said.
“The recognition of the value of the partnership at the local and now the State level is a reflection of the program and all involved in it.
“This is a practical program using expert knowledge to develop the student’s skills and which will be of benefit to the entire industry,” Mr Walsh said.
“I wish the school, the local businesses and the entire community the very best at the November 23 National Awards ceremony.”

Students from Lalbert Primary School are making history with the help of the Melbourne Museum, Monash University and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Inga Peulich, Parliamentary Secretary for Education recently congratulated Lalbert Primary School, who participated in the pilot program, at the official launch of the Making History: Research, Create and Share website.
Ms Peulich said the Making History website is a digital resource which enables students and families to be creators of digital contact to tell members of the community the story of Victorians from all works of life.
“The Making History website enabled students to work as real researches alongside their families and members of the broader community to find out about their past and publish their findings to the world,” Ms Peulich said.
“Students used tools and resources and learning skills that will benefit them beyond school, while at the same time, they are developing an understanding and appreciation of their past and the personal histories of Victorians.”
Peter Walsh, State Member for Swan Hill, congratulated the students from Lalbert Primary School saying the Making History project is truly a project for a globalised, connected world and for 21st Century learnings.
“The website is set to be an asset not only for the Lalbert Primary School but for the Victorian community as a whole,” Mr Walsh said.
“These individual stories paint a colourful picture about the history of our state, and tell us more about who we are as Victorians.”
Making History is structured around four themes that relate to historical inquiry: Living with Natural Disasters; World Events, Local Impacts; Cultural Identity, Migration Stories; and Family and Community Life.
The Student Showcase displays more than 13 digital histories by primary and secondary students from across Victoria. Over 130 students from 10 schools participated in the pilot program.
The Making History website can be found at: http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/websites/making-history/