In Queensland today, the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, announced that 11 projects across Australia will benefit from grants totalling $24.1 million under the second and final round of the Local Schools Working Together pilot program.
The $62.5 million Local Schools Working Together pilot program is an important part of the Rudd Government’s Education Revolution.
The Local Schools Working Together pilot program is a new approach to addressing the needs of our schools and their local community that broadens the benefit of government expenditure on capital infrastructure.
In the second and final round of the Local Schools Working Together pilot program, 11 projects will be delivered across 5 States.
- $9.4 million for 4 projects in Queensland;
- $4.9 million for 2 projects in Victoria;
- $2.4 million for a project in Western Australia
- $2.9 million for a project in New South Wales and;
- $4.4 million for 2 projects in South Australia.
The projects selected will provide innovative and new education initiatives. These shared facilities will provide venues for teaching environmental education, science and technology, music and the arts, Indigenous studies and physical education.
Successful Round Two projects include new performing arts centres in Victoria and Queensland, an information and communication technology learning facility in Western Australia and new sporting complexes in South Australia and New South Wales.
In total, twenty-six projects have been approved under the two funding rounds of the program which will benefit metropolitan, regional and rural communities across Australia.
The Local Schools Working Together pilot is helping government, Catholic and independent schools in every State and Territory work together with their local communities to develop important shared facilities.
These new shared facilities will open up great new opportunities to young people who might otherwise be denied access to the range of facilities and support enjoyed by students at other schools.
Partnerships may also extend to third parties such as local councils or businesses where projects feature a broader community benefit.
The National Assessment Panel considered submissions against the selection criteria and the program’s priorities outlined in the guidelines.
For details of the successful projects and information on the program visit: http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/Pages/LocalSchoolsWorkingTogether.aspx