By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
EVERY year 10,000 year 9, 10 and 11 students drop out of the Victorian education system and on Thursday the State Government launched a pilot buddy project with a difference at Narre Warren South P-12 College.
The new $1.6 million mentoring program will see high achieving tertiary students who have overcome their disadvantage mentor selected Victorian secondary students in a bid to lower dropout rates across the state and help students reach their potential.
The 200 selected tertiary mentors will receive scholarships worth $3000 to put towards their education.
Minister for Education James Merlino said the secondary dropout rates are “quite extraordinary” and he hopes the new mentor program will reach hundreds of students in disadvantaged communities and regional Victoria.
“This program means young people can engage with other young people who are maybe questioning or a bit down on themselves and just give them that little bit of encouragement and advice – which is going to be so crucial,” Mr Merlino said.
The secondary school students will be chosen on grounds of disadvantage which includes socioeconomic disadvantage, indigeneity, morality and disability and Mr Merlino added that the selection process will be a hard task for the advisory committee.
The pilot program, co-ordinated through the Department of Education and Training, is based on the successful Israeli PERACH program which has been running since 1974.
“This is the program MP Judith Graley and I saw in action in Isreal about 18 months ago and after seeing it first-hand we thought what a wonderful thing to bring back to Victoria,” Mr Merlino said.
The $1.6 million will split into two parts with $600,000 going towards the tertiary program and the other $1 million being spent on expanding existing mentoring programs and aiding other mentoring organisations.
“We are keen to expand this program into the future to include Tafe students and people who have been successful in other pathways; it’s about encouraging young people to stay the course in their education whatever their goals may be,” Mr Merlino said.
