More reform announced

From 2016 the Government will provide an extra $747 million to deliver excellence in every school. Additional funding and meaningful support includes:

• Through the Regional Support Initiative, approximately 150 new staff will be put into regional offices across the state to assist building the collective expertise as a system and to implement together the initiatives that will deliver the best outcomes for Victoria’s students.
• The new Framework for Improving Student Outcomes will help guide improvement, and will support collaborative networks to strengthen practice and expertise.
• Every teacher will receive training to implement the new Victorian Curriculum, which includes new priority areas like digital coding and respectful relationships.

GONSKI announcement

At an Education State briefing yesterday, Education Minister James Merlino said, "We'll be working to promote pride and confidence in our government schools." He also acknowledged that, "We've got to break the link between disadvantage and achievement."

After four years of neglect by the former state government, public schools will finally receive the first significant allocation of Gonski needs-based funding. All Victorian schools should have received their indicative 2016 budgets yesterday, marking a massive reinvestment in public schools - to the tune of $747 million over the next four years. The vast majority of this - $566 million - will be allocated through the equity component of school budgets. Almost $158 million will be delivered for the 2016 school year.

Glen Park received an additional $5000 for 2016 which is a good start.

The word on the street is that Christopher Pyne will be moved from Education. ( to inflict his special kind of stupidity on some other unsuspecting arm of government) I'll keep you posted meanwhile....