Local Secondary Schools carry VCAL program despite debt
- Details
- Thursday, 16 February 2012 01:43
Member for Williamstown, Wade Noonan MP, has lashed out at the Baillieu Government for cutting almost $100,000 per year for Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) Coordinators at two local secondary schools, saying that it had created debt for Bayside College and left Williamstown High School’s budget on a razor edge.
Mr Noonan said that both Williamstown High School and Bayside College had decided to retain their VCAL Coordinators in 2012 despite the funding cuts.
“I applaud our local schools for being prepared to offer every opportunity they can for their students,” Mr Noonan said.
“Having lost about $100,000 in funding from the Baillieu Government, they have had to move heaven and earth to keep the VCAL program alive.”
“It’s simply not acceptable for the Education Minister to suggest that the VCAL program is not worthy of the same level of funding support than in previous years.”
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a hands-on option for students in Years 11 and 12. VCAL gives students practical work-related experience, as well as literacy and numeracy skills and the opportunity to build personal skills that are important for life and work. Like the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), VCAL is an accredited secondary certificate.
“Anyone who understands the VCAL program will tell you that it is a great way of ensuring that disadvantaged and disengaged students don’t simply drop out of school,” Mr Noonan said.
“For a whole range of reasons, not every child goes on to complete VCE and it is crucial that we give students alternative pathways.”
“I’m particularly distraught that one of our local secondary schools is going into debt in order to keep their VCAL program going.”
“No one could argue that this is a fair approach to public education.”
“At a time when we should be prioritising education, the Baillieu Government seems intent on ripping the guts out of public education. This decision is both ignorant and inconceivable.”
The VCAL funding cuts stem from the $481 million cuts announced in the 2011/12 State Budget.
“I’m sure the Education Minister has been hoping that this issue would just disappear from the pages of our newspapers – but our kids deserve better than that.”
