Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the wonderful work being done by schools in Indi and to thank the staff, students and parents for all the work they do. Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Wangaratta District Specialist School. Libby Hosking is the principal and leads a great team of teachers, aides, volunteers, parents, friends and 111 students. This school is an amazing place and I am proud to represent it in this parliament.

One of the highlights of my visit was the warm welcome from the VCAL, Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, students. A strong VCAL emphasis in the senior school sees many students gaining school based apprenticeships in subjects such as hospitality and agriculture. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning tea of scones and homemade jam, as well as the fresh veggies from the garden—all home grown. These students travel up to two hours a day to attend the school, from Rutherglen in the north to Benalla in the south. Another popular activity in this very special school are the swings donated by the Beechworth Correctional Centre. How wonderful to see these children flying through the air with such obvious enjoyment. Well done to the prisoners who built the swings.

I also want to mention the Wangaratta Primary School and say a big parliamentary hello to the students who visited Parliament House recently. I hope you enjoyed your Canberra experience and I look forward to seeing you soon to present you with your certificates.