Thursday, 1 June 2023

 John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (15:46): (274) My adjournment today is for the Minister for Education in the other place, Minister Hutchins, and the action I seek is for the minister to join me on a visit to support an inclusion school in my community of Southern Metropolitan Region. On Monday I had the honour of visiting the Belmore School in Balwyn. Belmore School is a specialist school which caters for students who have physical disability or significant health impairments. These are complex cases that require paramedical support and the best staff and support services to wrap around them. Students at Belmore have a wide range of intellectual abilities and all have complex needs, but in Victoria equality is not negotiable and everyone deserves an opportunity to receive an education.

One of these students is Vivian; she is a student leader at Belmore School. In her wheelchair, talking through her computer-generated voice, she took me on a tour of her school. She showed me her classroom, the new facilities and more. As an elected representative I was excited to hear that Belmore School has elections of its own – how amazing. Students like Vivian campaign for votes to be elected as the school’s student leaders.

It was my honour to meet with the school staff, led by Principal White, who are determined, passionate and clearly dedicated. The team is made up of 12 teachers who are passionate about providing an environment for learning. With an extensive education support team of 13, this can happen. Every family deserves to know that their children will receive a great education – no exceptions. I am proud that we get this. Vivian’s school is being modernised as part of the Andrews Labor government’s $9.6 million capital works program. It is part of the $14.9 billion we have invested in schools and in more than 1940 school upgrades in less than nine years. These investments ensure that every child can get a great education, that our schools cater for Victoria’s growing population and that our government schools are better equipped to prepare students for the 21st century. By reforming schools we transform communities, we transform family lives and we allow students like these, who may never have had the opportunity, to receive an education and to one day perhaps enter the workforce and have a full and dignified life. I commend the Belmore School and the specialist schools in my community of Southern Metro to the house.