Premier

Boosting Digital Education For Rural And Regional Students

15 May 2017

347 small rural and regionally based Victorian government schools will receive a better digital education, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

The Victorian Budget 2017/18 included a $16.4 million state-wide investment to improve bandwidth and digital connectivity for students in rural and regional Victoria.

It will double the internet bandwidth of these smaller rural and regional schools and level the playing field so that students and teachers outside of our cities aren’t left behind.

Rural and regional schools will have faster and more reliable access to online teaching and learning resources to support learning programs and an extended choice of subjects to choose from.

This year’s Budget also includes $67.9 million for better IT support for schools and students across Victoria.

This funding will see information technology across all government schools upgraded to provide reliable access to digital services in the classroom that are essential to teaching and learning.

It also compliments the roll-out of ten new Tech Schools by renewing Wi-Fi in schools and implementing a new state-wide virtual conferencing system for more than half a million students in Victorian government schools.

These investments in digital education are part of the Labor Government's larger investment of almost $300 million in a range of school-based programs to help boost the skills students need to thrive at school.

Quotes attributable to Acting Premier and Minister for Education James Merlino

“We are doubling the bandwidth provision to 347 small rural and regional schools across Victoria to make sure all students can access a first-rate digital education regardless of where they live.”

“By investing in digital connectivity for rural and regional schools we can ensure our teachers can offer the same standard of digital education as metropolitan schools.”

“No student should miss out on learning the skills they will need for the jobs of the future.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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