By NICOLE WILLIAMS
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd was king of the kids in Berwick on Wednesday when he visited Brentwood Park Primary School.
Mr Rudd attended the school with La Trobe MP Laura Smyth to discuss the Better Schools plan with principal Jim Bell.
After being mobbed in the school grounds during recess by the students, he enjoyed some colouring with Prep students and he was welcomed in Chinese.
While reading a story book to the school’s youngest students, he had to be dragged away to speak to Mr Bell and the media.
However, Mr Rudd wasn’t prepared to leave the classroom, saying he wanted to stay to see how the story ended.
After finishing the story, he was given a score of 10 for his story-telling abilities by one young student.
While addressing the mass of students during recess, Mr Rudd said Brentwood Park was one of the ’best schools’ he had been to.
Mr Rudd told the media that the school was a ’great Australian state school’ which would benefit under the proposed school funding model.
“This school would be $2.8 million better off – that is a 48 per cent increase per student,” he said.
“That is not a small amount; that is a large amount. It will make the jobs of the teachers and principal easier.”
Mr Rudd said he was calling on Victorian Premier Denis Napthine to sign up to the plan.
“If Premier Napthine signs up $4 billion would be invested in Victorian schools – that is a lot of funding,” Mr Rudd said.
“The extra resources will stop us falling behind.”
According to Mr Rudd, the Better Schools plan, formerly known as the Gonski Reforms, would make Australian students competitive with students graduating from within some of the world’s best education systems.
“This is an important plan for the country. It is about lifting the standard for all Australians and lifting the standards for all Australian school children,” he said.
“We want our kids to get the best jobs possible and their standard of living to be high as well.”
Mr Rudd also spoke of the school’s gymnasium which was funded by the Federal Government.
“The gym allows you to meet as a school community,” Mr Rudd told the students who cheered in return.
“Laura was able to work with me to build a new gym. Isn’t it better having it than not?”
Mr Rudd stayed at the school for over an hour and also fielded questions from the media about the recent asylum seeker policy.
