MEMBER for Mildura Ali Cupper says Mildura West Primary School students are thinking like “democratic citizens”.
Ms Cupper visited the school on Friday to launch her education initiative Destination 22.
The initiative asks teachers and their students where they want their school and the broader community to be by the end of her parliamentary term in 2022.
Ms Cupper said she expected valuable feedback from the schools and students involved.
“People assume if you ask kids for their opinions on things it is going to be something like they want a lolly shop on every corner, but it’s not, these kids think like democratic citizens,” she said.
“These are smart kids with a lot to offer and it’s really nice to have a time and a space to sit down and hear that.”
School principal Anne Robinson said the project was “amazing” and the students had really intelligent ideas for Ms Cupper.
“This is just amazing that a politician would actually listen to children and Ali is right that children are so honest,” she said.
“They are able to say it simply and synthesise what needs to be happening in our community.
“I couldn’t believe some of the ideas they came up with when I told them she was coming.”
Destination 22 is aimed at issues for rural education and Ms Cupper said it was her job to follow it through.
“We know that rural students are behind on a lot of measures in comparison to their metropolitan counterparts and that’s not because they are less capable,” she said.
“It my job as a rural MP to remind the government of these kids’ needs and make sure the pressure is always on to constantly improve their resources.”
