Dozens of schools across Victoria will receive a funding boost to help get kids moving as they return to school for term two, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison today congratulated Principal Seona Murnane and students from Mt Rowan Secondary College on their success in receiving a $30,000 grant through the 2021 Active Schools Grants program.

The funding will be used to construct a new walking track around the oval with fitness equipment.

Schools can use the funding to upskill their Physical Education teachers, purchase sports equipment, or engage local organisations and clubs to deliver sporting programs.

Schools will also be able to buy fitness equipment, make classrooms more active, encourage greater active travel to and from school through bicycle education programs, upgrade playgrounds, install sensory play areas and provide opportunities to students to do more recreation activities such as mountain biking and kayaking.

Active Schools is designed to provide more opportunities for physical activity, sport and active recreation for Victorian students, helping them develop healthy lifelong habits. As part of the wider package:

• all schools will have access to a new toolkit with tips and tricks to make their school and kids more active
• a new team of physical education leaders will provide on-the-ground advice and support to more than 800 schools to improve their approach to sport, physical education and physical activity
• new approaches to increasing activity will be trialled through several partnerships, including working with the start-up community to explore how technology can get teens moving and adapting Deakin University’s Transform-Us! program for secondary schools to get teenagers moving more and sitting less
• a state-wide communications campaign will encourage children and their families to be more active and promote the importance of physical activity

As part of the program, 300 disadvantaged government schools received an Active Schools PE and Sport Funding Boost in term one this year to support them with the costs of physical education, sport and outdoor education.

In addition, 181 disadvantaged government secondary schools also received a funding boost to support the costs of providing extracurricular physical activity opportunities.

Further funding boosts will be provided to disadvantaged government schools again in 2022 to continue supporting students to be active.

Quotes attributable to Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison

“Sport and recreation are central to our way of life. These grants will help make sure more young people can get the best start in life with an education linked to active and healthy lifestyles.”

“The evidence is clear – active kids are happy, healthy and resilient kids, who are able to focus more in class. There’s no doubt that this project will make a significant difference to the physical and mental health of students at Mt Rowan Secondary College.”

Quotes attributable to Principal of Mount Rowan Secondary College Seona Murnane

“The Active Schools grant will benefit the whole school community by making access to physical activity readily available for students and staff. We envisage students using the track and fitness stations during recess and lunchtimes so there is another option for break times. Students often want to stay active at lunchtimes and the track will provide another space for this.

The track will also be used during Physical Education classes for students who may be recovering from injury who can still remain moderately active whilst their peers participate in higher intensity activities. These students can still participate and be supervised whilst other activities are held on the oval. We will also use the track as part of our cross-country course which will be used as a warm up in PE and for our annual school cross country event. The opportunities are endless, and this grant will kick-start the building of a track and fitness stations.”