By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
KAMBRYA College will receive a once in a generation investment as part of the Better Schools Plan (Gonski), with Victoria signing onto the reforms over the weekend.
The Berwick high school will receive $7,212,842 worth of funding as a result of the plan, which was formally announced at a special morning tea at Kambrya this week.
Principal Michael Muscat said the funding will have an unprecedented influence on students, particularly through the introduction of intervention programs in literacy and numeracy.
“We’ve got excellent programs but to really deliver the service we need to provide, we need to break them down into small groups, to give more individual attention and support,” he said.
“We are going to be able to show great improvement with this funding, come back in three years and we will have evidence of our how these funds have been very, very wisely used.”
Mr Muscat said the targeted funding will also be a great benefit to teachers and their ability to cater to student needs.
“The other thing is just to take the stress and strain off the whole staff,” he said.
“I’m so proud of the way our staff are incredibly hard working, they’ve got a huge burden on their shoulders and I’m hoping just to alleviate that a little bit and that’s going to result in better teaching for our students.”
Australian Education Union Victorian president Meredith Peace, who also attended the morning tea, said the Victorian reforms were pivotal for schools like Kambrya.
“It’s incredibly important, schools like Berwick will get a significant investment, millions of dollars of additional money that they can then use to support the children in this community,” she said.
“Schools won’t have any difficulty making decisions about the support. They know what they’re kids need, they simply haven’t had the resources to deliver it in the past, and the Gonski reforms provide that opportunity.”
The Victoria announcement is a significant achievement for the reforms and follows years of campaigning for reviews into school funding arrangements.
“It’s just been such a worthwhile cause. I don’t normally get involved with active campaigning but this has been one of the best issues, one that lends itself to active support because of the impact it’s going to have,” Mr Muscat said.
“I don’t think we’ll ever go back, the old system is now discredited and we will move forward to make a much more equitable situation.”
