News

Education | November 07, 2018

Liberal Nationals building a brighter future for young Victorians in Lowan

Work to lift school literacy and numeracy standards must take place in the early years, not VCE level, The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy has said.

Trying to improve literacy and numeracy standards at VCE level is too late, but that is exactly the plan announced by Daniel Andrews this week.

Ms Kealy said Year 12 students were focussing on preparing to leave school and heading to University or entering the workforce.

“Daniel Andrews’ plan will be identifying students with learning problems at the end of their schooling, not the beginning,” Ms Kealy said.

“A better approach is to teach and test kids to read and write in the early years of school so our kids have a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy from the very beginning.”

Despite receiving billions of dollars extra for education, Daniel Andrews has lost control of school standards and outcomes.

A Liberal Nationals Government will make sure the youngest Victorians have a brighter future, investing in better schools and early learning and establishing programs to give our kids a strong foundation for primary, secondary and tertiary education.

This includes a Phonics Test in Year 1 to check that our kids are building a foundation for lifelong learning.

“If elected, we’ll establish the $80 million Brighter Futures Fund to lift education opportunities in rural and regional communities through improved support for parents and children in the early years of schooling,” Ms Kealy said

“We’ll also invest in early language and literacy programs with a $16 million grants program to give our most vulnerable young Victorians a helping hand before they start school and deliver a Free School Books for Students program to purchase textbooks for years 7-12 students. 

“Only The Nationals in government will give our kids a brighter future by investing in early learning and lifting literacy and numeracy standards for primary school children.”

Results of the most recent Australian Early Development Census show 15 of Victoria’s 20 worst performing LGAs for early childhood education are in rural and regional Victoria.