A school for children with chronic medical or mental health conditions will open next year at the new Monash Children's Hospital.
The school will educate students who are in hospital for long periods so they can keep up with their schoolwork and stay connected to their usual schools, teachers and classmates.
The $6.8 million school will include four classrooms, a laboratory and office space for staff.
The students will be able to use systems installed on each bed, iPads or laptop computers to hold video conferences with their schools to keep up to date with their studies.
Last year the Education Department conducted a review of schooling for seriously ill children, comparing Victoria's system with those available interstate and overseas. Education Minister James Merlino said the review found there was a gap in education provision in the growing south-eastern suburbs and regional Victoria.
"This is filling a desperate gap in our system," he said.
Mr Merlino said the new school would complement education services already offered at the Royal Children's Hospital.
"If you are staying in hospital for a long period of time, you'll get this support."
The school will employ a principal and up to 15 teachers. The new Monash Children's Hospital is expected to be completed later this year.
Premier Daniel Andrews said schooling would be brought to children too sick to attend their usual schools.
"And that's a great way to make sure their ill health doesn't have any more consequences in their life than it needs to," he said.
Drugs 'shock' at Girton
A private school in Bendigo, in central Victoria, says it is "shocked" one of its students was arrested and questioned over alleged drug offences.
The 16-year-old Girton Grammar student was arrested on school grounds on Friday. He was then questioned by Bendigo police but was later allowed to leave.
No charges have been laid. Girton Grammar principal Matthew Maruff denied any knowledge of a reported "drug syndicate" linked to the school.
He said the school had spoken to five other Year 10 students who were associated with the arrested student.
"These students have been asked not to return to school until further notice," he said. Mr Maruff said the school had been aware police were coming to arrest the student.
He said the boy was not in possession of any drugs at the time of the arrest. "This incident is a shock to our school community," he said.
"No school is immune to the possibility of drugs circulating amongst students and we are working with police to make sure that this incident is quickly isolated."
The school made headlines earlier this year for turning a former captain away from a function for not wearing an "appropriate" suit
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