Michael Sukkar MP

Deakin Schools to Share in $16 Million in Funding

Government schools in Deakin will enjoy the freedom of having a bigger say on how they operate as a direct result of the Australian Government’s $70 million Independent Public Schools (IPS) initiative.

Federal Member for Deakin, Michael Sukkar, said the IPS initiative will enhance school autonomy in the local area and support the Napthine Government’s recently announced Professional Practice and Performance for Improved Learning: School Governance initiative, which is also assisting local school leaders to make better decisions.

“This is great news for the students and schools in our community,” Mr Sukkar said.

“No one is better placed to make decisions about how a school should be run than the principal, teachers and parents at that school.”

Between 2014 and 2017, government schools in the Deakin area will share in $15.89 million under the IPS initiative to deliver training, resources and support.

Over the next 12 months, up to 250 Victorian government schools will benefit from comprehensive programmes in key areas such as principal leadership development and training, capacity building for school councils, administrative support for principals, and funding to assist with federated governance models.

Federal Minister for Education, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, said he welcomed Victoria’s commitment to encouraging greater autonomy in government schools.

“Victoria has a strong history in granting their public schools the freedom to make local decisions for the benefit of their students and local communities,” Mr Pyne said.

Mr Sukkar, an Ambassador for Independent Public Schools, said the IPS initiative was an important part of the Australian Government’s Students First approach, focusing on four key areas that will make a difference to Deakin students:
• teacher quality
• school autonomy
• parental engagement
• strengthening the curriculum.

For further information, visit www.studentsfirst.gov.au.