Premier Daniel Andrews, Parliamentary Secretary for Volunteers and Carers, Gabrielle Williams, and Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing today joined students, teachers and parents at Tobruk St, Morwell to view plans for the Morwell Regeneration Project.

The $10.45 million funding, secured in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget, will finally give Morwell primary students the modern facilities they badly need to learn and grow.

The Andrews Labor Government’s plan will see Tobruk St, Commercial Rd and Morwell primary schools merge onto one site. The school will be built on the old Kurnai College site in McDonald St, Morwell.

The 2015/16 Victorian Budget was the single biggest injection of education funding in Victorian history, providing almost $4 billion in additional funds. We are building and upgrading schools and helping families with the costs of uniforms, glasses, camps, excursions and more.

This week, schools and students in Gippsland shared in more than $15 million of extra funding in 2016 as part of the Labor Government’s commitment to make Victoria the Education State. Equity funding increased on average by $437 per student across regional Victoria, in comparison to $209 in metropolitan Melbourne.

This money is to help our schools give students the skills they need for work and life: confidence, resilience, and the capacity for critical and creative thinking. We also want more kids to take part in physical activity at school.

This is also about breaking the link between a child’s social and economic background and how well they do at school. Our aim is to significantly reduce the number of kids who drop out of school and training every year.

The Labor Government is also undertaking a $82.2 million Regional Support Initiative in response to schools telling us they needed extra help to provide the best support possible to Victorian students. This is in contrast to the previous Coalition Government who axed dedicated regional offices.

The initiative will be delivered through the establishment of 17 new local area-based teams employing over 150 staff across the current four regions. The teams will help relieve principals and teachers from operational and administrative burdens so they can focus on what matters most for Victoria’s students.

Gippsland will host three area-based teams in Moe, Leongatha and Warragul.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“Kids can’t get a first-rate education in a second-rate classroom.”

“We’re giving students in Morwell the world class facilities they need to reach their full potential.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing

“Whether it is boosting funding for teaching or rebuilding local schools, the Andrews Labor Government is delivering significant educational improvements for the Gippsland community.”

Additional funding for schools in Morwell:
Kurnai College $884,225
Morwell Park Primary School $467,230
Morwell Primary School $164,171
Commercial Road Primary School $124,630
Tobruk Street Primary School $110,178