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www.wangarattachronicle.com.au
BUBBLE ARTWORK FOR WINE REGION
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
EDUCATION WEEK 2024 Page 3
16 PAGE FEATURE
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DAZZLING LIGHTS IN THE NIGHT SKY HUES of pink, green and blue lit up the southward sky last weekend in a phenomenon not seen in decades. Wangaratta photographer Alison Ward captured the dazzling aurora Australis, also known as the southern lights, over Winton Wetlands.
Getting in early $2.5m needed to fund p $ program g for p primaryy students at risk of disengagement g g AN early l intervention i t ti model aimed at easing the path to secondary education for disengaged young people has been devised by two local groups - now it just needs $2.5 million in funding to bring it to fruition. The model was prepared by Genevieve O’Reilly, outgoing Borinya Wangaratta Community Partnership principal, and North East
BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au
Support and Action for Youth (NESAY) chief executive officer Leah Waring, in response to a growing call for a supported transitional pathway for identified grade five and six students from across the North East.
Borinya currently B i tl caters t ffor up to 45 students aged 12 to 18 who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from school, helping them reconnect with education, either through a return to a mainstream setting or development of a pathway to further education and employment. NESAY, meanwhile, provides support to about 550 young people and their
ffamilies ili each h year, mostt off them from the Rural City of Wangaratta. Both Ms O’Reilly and Ms Waring said the rising local need for early intervention was based on education and learning engagement levels in this age group, as well as increases in family distress and support requirements. “Schools are identifying increasing numbers of young
people disengaging l att risk i k off di i from education,” Ms Waring said. She said the community services sector was not funded for all the early intervention work that was needed, which meant that difficulties faced by young people and their families were addressed when needs were large and more severely felt, rather than
in i the th early l stages. t Ms O’Reilly undertook research to inform the model during 10 weeks of enrichment leave in 2022, and with Ms Waring has estimated that it would take $2.5 million to launch the program, which would require a purpose-built facility close to the Borinya campus in College Street. ■ Continued page 2
Faces of Small Business Learn more in this Friday’s issue.
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