Thursday, 31 October 2019

 Mr BRAYNE (Nepean) (10:04): I want to congratulate all year 12 students on the Mornington Peninsula who sat for the English exam this time yesterday morning and wish them all the very best for the exam period ahead. In particular I want to wish the students of Rosebud Secondary College, Dromana College and Padua College all the best as they continue through their exams. Today I think it is psychology, as we speak right now.

I remember sitting my all-important VCE exams eight years ago and know the anxiety and nervousness that comes not just with sitting for your end-of-year exams but finishing a huge chapter of your life. I was blessed to go to a school where desks were not an issue, but this has not been the case for all schools on the peninsula. When I visited all the schools earlier this year, Rosebud Secondary College’s desks were just not up to scratch. They were well-worn, graffitied and wobbly. I spoke to the students and said I would do everything I could to try and ensure they had new desks to work at by the end-of-year exams. With the maintenance blitz funding announced by the Minister for Education about a month back, this school was able to use that money for new desks. Our kids should know that when they do these important end-of-year exams they will not be stymied by desks just not able to serve their purpose.

Also, as important as these exams seem right now, the results do not define you or your future. Your attitude matters so much more. So once again I wish all year 12s a very successful exam period and subsequently a very safe schoolies if you are having it on the Mornington Peninsula.