Support for fire-affected students

STUDENTS in fire-affected communities in south eastern Tasmania will share in up to $1.47 million in extra funding to help them get the help they need to successfully get on with their schooling. Federal Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett MHR, said students in some 134 flood- and fire-affected communities across Australia would get extra support. Under this announcement, six schools in the Lyons will each receive $11,000, including two in the Derwent Valley.

The Federal Member for Lyons, Dick Adams MHR, welcomed the funding as good news for the region, which will provide chaplaincy and student welfare services to support students at Glenora District High School and Westerway Primary School, as well as schools at Dunalley, Nubeena, Dodges Ferry and Sorell.

“Many of our local schools in the south-eastern region have been seriously affected by the devastating January bushfires so we’re making sure that students at these schools get all the help they need to continue their studies and achieve their best,” Mr Adams said.

“This funding means chaplains and student welfare workers will have more time available to support students in these schools. Our local schools are at the heart of community life and this extra money to help schools recover is an important investment this Government is making to help communities recover and rebuild,” he said.

Mr Garrett said the government was providing $1.47 million to support students from schools seriously affected by the fires and floods that occurred earlier this year in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. “As part of the initiative, $814,000 will assist up to 74 schools in Queensland, $286,000 will be provided to help up to 26 New South Wales schools, $286,000 will be provided to help up to 26 schools in Victoria, and $88,000 will assist up to eight schools in Tasmania to extend support to their students and the school community,” Mr Garrett said.

“This extra funding is another practical initiative available to help school communities around the country and represents this Government’s willingness to work with the states and territories to get better outcomes, especially for people in regional and remote Australia,” he said.