WODONGA and Wangaratta have missed out in the rollout of locations for regional sites linked to a $148 million Victorian teaching and learning academy located in the Melbourne CBD.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Acting Premier James Merlino made the announcement yesterday with seven supporting sites to be created at Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Moe and Shepparton.
But none will be located in the Benambra and Murray Valley electorates.
Member for Benambra Bill Tilley voiced his displeasure at having his electorate overlooked.
"Frankly, we are now going to ask teachers to travel two and a half hours to Shepparton, when I think the numbers more than justify one being right here in Benambra," he said.
"We have more than 10,000 kids in our schools, 1000 teachers and what I hear is that there is not enough hours in the day to do what they are doing now.
"How will this work, what will have to give in the school day, a teacher's timetable, for this to happen?"
IN OTHER NEWS:
Mr Tilley said he fully supported improving education, but it needed to be accessible.
"We want the very best for our kids - we want them going to tertiary studies, we want our teachers to be their very best, but do it here and don't burden them or their schools with travel," he said.
All sites are expected to be up and running by the end of 2022.
The academy's main program will be their intensive, one year long Teaching Excellent Program.
Five hundred teachers per year across all sectors will cover core curriculums in english, maths and arts.
Other programs will focus on developing prospective school leadership candidates.
Mr Merlino said that the state government wanted Victorian children to "get the very best education".
"The new Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership will develop our teachers, giving the very latest in understanding and skills, and enabling them to share that with their colleagues and school communities," he said.
The academy aims to build on the existing Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership, with of a focus on professional learning and development for Victorian teachers.
The Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership will also encourage teacher's to share the benefits of their professional development among their peers.
