Glenora keen on local college plan

NINE schools including Glenora District High have expressed an interest in being among the first four to be extended to Year 12 next year. This follows a letter being sent to 28 regional and rural high schools inviting formal expressions of interest last month.

"It is extremely encouraging we have had over double the number of schools apply, compared to actual places," Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said yesterday. "This response demonstrates that there is no shortage of schools eager to adopt our plan to improve Year 12 completion rates by providing another option for students at danger of dropping out post-Year 10."

Education Department officials will visit the nine interested schools to discuss their plans for delivering Years 11 and 12, with the minister expecting their recommendations by the end of next month. Schools that miss out on being approved for extension next year will be reconsidered for 2016.

""We said we would do this in our first 100 days of government and that is exactly what we have done. Our plan will not only improve retention rates by providing more choices for students, it also sends a strong message to young Tasmanians [that] their education does not finish in Year 10.

Expressions of Interest were received from the following schools:

• Dover District High School
• Huonville High School
• Tasman District High School
• Rosebery District High School
• Glenora District High School
• Winnaleah District High School
• Smithton High School
• Scottsdale High School
• St Marys High School