Iramoo Primary School

I rise today to speak about the great work being undertaken at Iramoo Primary School in my electorate. I do so to demonstrate through a specific example that inequity in education, the existence of which was confirmed last week by the PISA report, can be overcome in our schools through system-wide improvement, focused on building leadership and teacher capacity.

Iramoo is a primary school with significant and increasing disadvantage. To provide context, under the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage ranking, the national average is 1,000. Four years ago, Iramoo had an ICSEA ranking of 940 and grade 5 students performed 50 points below the state average in reading, writing and numeracy.

In 2012 it had an ICSEA ranking of 928. The measure of disadvantage had actually increased and yet Iramoo students performed above state average in reading, writing and numeracy. In fact, they demonstrated growth higher than the state mean in every area that was assessed. Most impressive was the mean growth of 107 points for students between grade 3 and grade 5, particularly when compared to the state mean growth of 81 points.

They achieved this by utilising targeted federal government national school partnership funding. With this financial assistance, Iramoo started coaching for teachers and early intervention programs for students. And they demonstrated, like so many others in my electorate, what happens when you are serious about addressing inequity, and about improving teaching and learning.

When I visited the school two weeks ago, the principal, Moira Findlay, spoke at length of the work of the last four years and of the need for the work to continue. Just imagine what they could do with adequate Better Schools funding. But, instead of certainty, they have confusion. Because of those opposite, the funding that Iramoo Primary School needs to continue its vital programs is now in doubt. Not only have they reduced long-term funding for education but they have also given the Victorian government licence to cut their own contributions. With no strings attached, the Napthine government can now use federal money in place of its own funding.

We are dealing with a state government that ripped away money from TAFE and ripped away money from vocational education. Just like its federal counterpart, it is not a government that seems to care about education.

So I call on this government and Minister Pyne to end the doubt, to fulfil the promise of a unity ticket on education and to let Iramoo continue its four-year journey. Who knows how far this school and these students could go and what contribution they could make if we had a government willing to invest in their future?

Share this:

Sign in if you'd like new recruits to be credited to you.

Related

Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment Bill 2014

Posted by

September 02, 2014

I rise to outline my strong opposition to the government's Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment Bill 2014. I declare straight out that I had...

Higher education cuts

Posted by

August 28, 2014

There will be no surprise today that I rise to speak about higher education. Before the election this government promised no cuts to education. The...

Student Representative Council Forum

Posted by

August 27, 2014

Today I rise to talk about the second SRC forum held in my electorate in the recess. The forum was attended by over 130 primary...

Abbott’s school cuts hit Lalor harder than anywhere else

Posted by

August 01, 2014

New analysis of the Government’s own figures, released recently, shows Tony Abbott’s cuts will leave schools in the electorate of Lalor $277 million worse off...

Latest

LABOR TO PROVIDE HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR COMMUNITY CENTRE

Posted by

April 15, 2025

Federal Member for Lalor, Joanne Ryan, announced that a re-elected Albanese Labor Government will contribute $500,000 to commence stage two of Werribee Islamic Centre’s infrastructure...

LABOR TO UPGRADE ACCESS TO THE HOPPERS CROSSING GURDWARA

Posted by

April 13, 2025

Federal Member for Lalor, Joanne Ryan, announced that a re-elected Albanese Labor Government will invest $45,000 to upgrade access to the Hoppers Crossing Gurdwara ensuring...

PM’S VISIT HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN MEDICARE TO BUILD WYNDHAM’S FUTURE

Posted by

April 07, 2025

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Joanne Ryan, Federal Labor Member for Lalor, at the Werribee Medicare Urgent Care Clinic last week, reinforcing the critical need...

LABOR WILL BUILD NEXT STAGE OF WYNDHAM RING ROAD

Posted by

March 31, 2025

The Albanese Labor Government will build a new bridge over the Werribee River to cut congestion and improve safety in Melbourne’s growing west.