Regional and rural students will soon have a greater choice in VCE subjects, thanks to a $1.2 million investment by the Andrews Labor Government.
Minister for Education James Merlino today opened the VCE Collaboration Fund, which is part of a $22.6 million investment to give regional and rural students access to the full range of VCE subjects.
The VCE Collaboration Fund is an innovative model that supports regional and rural schools to partner with each other to broaden the VCE subject choice and quality of VCE offerings.
The fund will support around 100 schools over the next four years to give VCE students greater choice in what they study by offering access to subjects in other schools.
Learning can be delivered face-to-face in the classroom, virtually through video conferencing, or through a ‘blended’ face-to-face and virtual approach.
School partnerships can apply for up to $40,000 in funding for things like purchasing learning resources, equipment, and transport so that staff and students can travel across partner school sits.
Victorian schools from all sectors can apply, provided at least one school in the partnership is a government school in a regional or rural area. Expressions of interest for round one are now open.
The program aims to support students to pursue their chosen educational, training and vocational pathways.
Choice of subjects at schools is a key driver for student retention and for VCE completion. Yet students in rural and regional Victoria generally have fewer VCE subjects to choose from than their metropolitan counterparts.
The Fund is being delivered alongside a major expansion of VCE subjects offered through the virtual learning programs of Virtual School Victoria and the Victorian School of Languages, and through a new ‘blended learning’ pilot through Victorian Virtual Learning Network.
As stated by Minister for Education James Merlino
“We’re closing the gap between city and country – giving students greater choice of VCE subjects that appeal to their interests, strengths and career aspirations.”
“Regional and rural VCE students will be better supported than ever before, regardless of where they go to school.”
