School’s out for senior students

THE summer holidays are almost here for the hundreds of young people at our local schools.
A year of learning and achievement in the classroom will give way to new experiences and opportunities that holiday periods offer.
For our VCE students, the end of secondary school years is about to be replaced with the buzz of new challenges at university or in the workplace.
Our community recognises the importance of a well-rounded education to prepare young people for further learning and employment.
Achievement at school is more than just doing well in academic subjects. It is about learning to apply the principles of fairness and respect to fellow students and teachers, taking the initiative in being an participant in the life of our school and community and being part of a team where initiative and effort are appreciated.
For many years, it has been my pleasure to present the McEwen Award to secondary students at Healesville High School and other schools and colleges across our electorate, recipients who demonstrate leadership through service to their school community.
Those same attributes have been to the fore with parents and school council leaders throughout 2008 and together we have worked to secure better facilities at our local high school.
We have been disappointed that there has not been the investment required to ensure state-of-the-art classrooms are available to provide the learning opportunities our young people need.
The belated invitation to Healesville High to apply to be part of the Building Futures program is the first sign that our school’s needs are being considered. After almost a decade of neglect we expect no further delays in the redevelopment of the school.
What a wonderful present it would be for the start of the 2009 school year if the State Government had announced and started the first stage of works.
These works are needed now to bring benefits for today’s young people and those who will follow, unlike the north-south pipeline that will bring no benefits to our communities – the economy, tourism, our environment – and leave our region $1 billion out of pocket as 75 billion litres of water are sucked from the already-stressed Goulburn River system every year.
A good education requires supportive parents, quality teachers and quality resources. For too long the State Government has denied parents, teachers and students the right resources.
Our community campaign will continue until the neglect ends.