School year off to a great start

MEDIA RELEASE - School year off to a great start

April 2017

At the commencement of the 2017 school year, the Shire of Manjimup together with Mitre 10 Retravision Manjimup and their suppliers, instigated a project called 'Great Start School Packs'.The aim of the project was to assist disadvantaged children to start school with the basic necessities to help them get the most out of their education.

Resources for the school packs were sourced by Mitre 10 Retravision Manjimup through its suppliers Dulux and Taubmans and included a backpack, lunch box, drink bottle, ruler, pencil case and a note book. Shire President Paul Omodei said that though these provisions are simple, they are essential. "Children need to feel a part of the school community and be able to settle into their routine comfortably. If they haven't got the tools they need they're already feeling "different" to the other kids, which could lead them to disengage."

The program was open across the entire Shire, whereby families or children were referred to the Shire of Manjimup by organisations that assist those in need such as the local Churches, Relationships Australia, Anglicare, Manjimup Combined Churches Emergency Relief, and in some cases, by local schools. All referrals were confidential and a representative of each organisation collected the packs from the Shire of Manjimup prior to the start of the school year so that the students had their supplies in time to commence on the first day of term one. "The process was kept discreet because it is about giving kids an equal start, not distinguishing them from the other kids," explained Cr Omodei.

Research shows that disadvantaged students are on average two-three years behind in reading and maths by the time they are 15 years old. It also shows that the reading gap between the lowest and the highest socio-economic status students is equivalent to almost three years of schooling.1 "The name of the program says it all - the hope is that though these children and their families are experiencing some type of disadvantage, they will stay on the path to active participation in their education so they can gain the same out of their schooling as their classmates and reach their full potential," said Cr Omodei.

1Thomson et al, 2011, Challenges for Australian Education: Results from PISA 2009
Source:www.thesmithfamily.com.au

-ENDS-

Authorised by Andrew Campbell, Chief Executive Officer

Contact Gina Nieuwendyk, Coordinator Communication and Executive Support

Contact: 9771 7777

Contact for comment: Paul Omodei, Shire President.

Contact: 0448 810 773