Thursday, 15 May 2025

Education funding

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (10:00): Education transforms lives, and it has been a great privilege to visit several schools in my region. I have visited Emerson School in Dandenong, David Scott School in Frankston and now, more recently, Berry Street School in Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren. These schools are all unique because they are developed for young people who have challenges in their lives. In many cases we have young people who are truant and not going to school, but in this case these schools provide education for young people who would otherwise miss out. In the case of Berry Street they take in young offenders and they take in young people who are struggling with homelessness, and to see this government rip out $2.4 billion from the budget for education is simply criminal.

Education is something that can actually change lives. When we have young people who are struggling with their mental health, when there is an increase in that and there is a decrease in personal resilience, we have to encourage education in schools. We have to also provide alternative forms of education to help young people that have special needs because of their circumstances, which are unprecedented since the incredible lockdowns that people in Victoria experienced in Melbourne, in the most locked-down city in the world.

I want to applaud the people at Berry Street. There are a number of wellbeing people there. They work with young people to make sure that they have the opportunity to go to school. They cater for years 7 to 12, and their vision is for all students to have a high-quality education where students can thrive, achieve and belong.