Premier Daniel Andrews visited Sunbury College today, to announce funding for a new wellbeing support service that is expected to play a crucial role in building resilience among students at Sunbury College.
Leading Mr Andrews on a tour of the school on Friday, principal Stephen Smith said the surprise announcement of $70,000 for a welfare program was welcome.
‘‘The wellbeing and resilience of young people, not just in our school but across Sunbury, is a real issue,’’ Mr Smith said.
‘‘Issues of self harm and so on that occurs are of concern to us.
‘‘There’s also the number of students that just cant cope with the demands of schooling at the VCE level.
‘‘Life is full of setbacks, we’ve got to teach our young people how to deal with that.’’
Mr Andrews chatted with students and enjoyed a coffee made by trainee baristas as he toured the school to discuss plans for a $3 million science wing funded in this year’s state budget.
He said ‘‘building the education state’’ was much more than a state government slogan.
‘‘Buildings are really important, you can’t expect to give our kids a first-rate education in second-rate classrooms.’’
Mr Smith said the school was waiting on departmental approval before engaging architects to design the new wing.
He said any sod turning was likely to be a year away.
Mr Andrews also visited Kyneton, where he and Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas viewed plans for a complete $8 million rebuild of Kyneton Primary School next to Kyneton Secondary College.
The government has also invested $5 million in a trades hub at the secondary school to form an education precinct.
