Wednesday, 12 November 2025

 Katie HALL (Footscray) (13:20): Just because a Victorian might be too young to vote, it does not mean their experience and their voice are not vital to our democracy. When we meet our young people where they are at and listen to what they need, it gives them the best possible chance for a bright future. Luckily for me, my community in Footscray is overflowing with passionate and civic-minded young Victorians. Chief among them are the members of the Footscray Youth Advisory Committee I established, or FYAC. I established the group to give a voice to young people in the inner west and to serve as a forum for them to engage and advocate on the issues that matter most to them. The group quickly turned their keen minds to education and our schooling system, identifying equity, quality and wellbeing as key benchmarks of success. The schools report that they wrote, Equal Schools, covers affordability of schooling, wellbeing in schools, curriculum design, school funding, teacher pay and conditions, the design of the school day and preparation for post-school life. The group took a firm view that every student has the right to access a quality education regardless of their background, postcode or beliefs. This week I look forward to presenting their report to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll. The group have already met with the Deputy Premier ahead of formulating their report. Congratulations to Rachel, Clara, Kat, Rehan, Taihan, Keanu and Fin.