- Published:
- Thursday 2 March 2023
The Andrews Labor Government’s statewide expansion of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership is backing regional teachers with world-class skill support, delivering better educational outcomes for Victorian kids.
Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins said she was honoured to open the Academy’s regional centre in Geelong and to provide Victorian teachers and leaders across the state with access to cutting-edge professional learning.
Geelong is the first of seven Academy regional centres to be opened as part of the Labor Government’s $33.8 million investment in the Academy, offering local teachers and school leaders a range of learning inititatives, programs and events dedicated to leadership and teaching excellence.
Further regional centres will be established in Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Mildura, Moe and Shepparton, while the Melbourne headquarters of the Academy was opened in early 2022.
The Geelong centre, in conjunction with the one in Ballarat, will support the needs of teachers across Victoria’s south-west including those in and around Geelong, Warrnambool, Portland, Hamilton and Horsham.
Establishment of the seven regional centres is an important new service for rural and regional schools, offering local teachers the opportunity to collaborate, learn and develop new skills and educational approaches that translate to better learning outcomes for regional and rural kids.
Supporting the needs of local school communities, each Academy will be supported by local teams and provide regional teachers the same high quality professional learning as the Academy’s metropolitan counterpart.
The Academy is an Australian-first and dedicated to delivering teaching excellence and advanced professional learning for high-performing teachers and school leaders in government, Catholic and Independent schools.
Serving a unique position to elevate the profession and influence teaching, the Academy serves to deliver leadership and excellence in all Victorian schools. For more information visit academy.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins
“Every Victorian kid deserves the very best education, that’s why we’re backing school leaders and teachers with the support they need to deliver better learning outcomes for kids across the state.”
“Victoria is home to some of the most exceptional Principals, school leaders and teachers in the nation. With the regional Academy rollout, we’re ensuring they have access to world-class resources – no matter where they live.”
Quote attributable to Dr Marcia Devlin, CEO Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership
“Regional Victorian school teachers and principals are extremely committed to continuously improving the quality of teaching and their students’ learning and these new centres will help them do just that.”
Quote attributable to Member for Geelong Christine Couzens
“Every child deserves a first class education. Providing our teachers with ongoing support and skills learning enables them to continue providing the best education for our kids.”