POOR TRAVEL ASSISTANCE MEANS RURAL STUDENTS MISS OUT

Rural students are missing out because of poor travel funding for VET students who need to attend another educational facility for some subjects, according to The Nationals.

Education spokesman, Peter Hall, has told Parliament there are students across the State missing out on VET and VCAL courses because there is lack of rural travel assistance.

The problem arises when secondary schools do not have enough students enrolled in VET or VCAL courses to run required subjects on their own campus.

Mr Hall said he was aware of many instances of students across country Victoria having to travel from their schools to attend VET programs, without any reimbursement. He used Yarram Secondary College as an example.

"Yarram Secondary College does not have sufficient students to run automotive mechanics in its own right, so one day a week six students from Yarram Secondary College travel to the Fulham campus of the East Gippsland Institute of TAFE near Sale to undertake this VET program," Mr Hall said.

"There is no public transport between Yarram and Sale, so the students have had to find alternative means of getting to the Fulham campus. To date they have been able to access seats on a private school bus for this purpose."

"However, as more private school students have needed the bus, only four seats are currently available.

"Two of the six students are rostered off each week and cannot get to their programs," Mr Hall said. "The fact the State Government provides no funding for students who must travel from their own school to attend vocational education and training (VET) programs means these students miss out.

"It is very common in country Victoria to find students who must travel from their schools to attend VET programs yet neither schools, parents or students are reimbursed for this travel cost. This is a problem the government cannot ignore any longer."

Mr Hall said there was general support for the VET programs introduced by the previous government and Victorian certificate of applied learning (VCAL) programs.

"Extra funding is required so students in rural areas can access their courses and not be disadvantaged," Mr Hall said.

"I ask the Minister for Education Services to address this situation as a matter of priority by providing funding so students at country secondary schools can attend VET programs and have the same educational opportunities as students who live in metropolitan areas."