Students are told to play ball – or else

SPORT will be used as a sweetener to keep kids in school under a $2 million Labor initiative.
Labor’s candidate for La Trobe Laura Smyth visited Berwick Fields Primary School on Sunday to announce the No School No Play program with some of Australia’s leading sporting officials, players and coaches.
Minister for Employment Participation Mark Arbib said the program would be delivered in partnership with various sporting clubs. “There is nothing more important than ensuring children attend school so they can get a good education and have the best chance at a great future,” he said.
“We know that young people who don’t finish Year 12 are more than twice as likely to be unemployed or not go on to further study as those who do.”
Under the No School No Play program, sporting organisations will encourage to attend school regularly through ‘player codes of honour’ or signing school attendance self-declarations.
Ms Smyth said programs like this were important in helping young people make the right decisions.