As the daughter of a public school teacher, I know how hard our teachers work. I know the values they instil in students to help shape them into fair, decent, democratic citizens.
The establishment of an academy in Mildura shows that government values the skills and talents of our local teachers as much as we do.
I could not be happier or prouder with this latest win for our region.
The academy will provide teachers in government, Catholic and independent schools access to new programs to develop their skills and the latest programs and research on learning.
The Victorian Government is to be commended for opening academies in rural areas, particularly Mildura.
There’s no doubt 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, as COVID-19 played havoc with how we went about our day-to-day lives.
Under the most difficult circumstances, it was amazing to see how our teachers and entire school communities were able to adapt to lockdowns and continue to provide quality education for students.
To be able to pivot to remote learning during lockdowns and keep students engaged was a terrific effort and I think our teachers deserve a huge amount of credit for the dedication they showed in the face of that adversity.
Last year’s State Budget delivered for our education sector – with $9.5 million allocated to Hopetoun P-12 College and $5.9 million to Merbein P-10 College for infrastructure upgrades. It was game-changing funding and both schools had waited a long time for the investment.
People are often critical of government decisions, saying they can be too city-centric. Not anymore. To have Mildura named as an academy site is another strong sign that our voices are being heard.
Teachers in regional and rural areas deserve access to the same professional development opportunities as their city counterparts and our students will be the ultimate beneficiaries.
All the regional academies are due to open by the end of 2022. Bring it on!
