Surf Coast
Friday, 23 November, 2012
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Garrett visits to explain funding, accused of ‘hypocrisy’ By CHERIE DONNELLAN SCHOOL Education Minister Peter Garrett toured Torquay College on Wednesday to endorse Federal Government’s plans for schools. Mr Garrett spoke with staff and students about the plan’s benefits, including incremental rises in yearly funding and “investing in great teachers” to support student test results. “Under our plan funding for every school will rise every year and the extra money will be spent on things we know will help improve results – investing in great teachers, focusing on school improvement, and giving more power to local principals,” Mr Garrett said. He called on the Victorian Government to support schools with additional funding to help place Australia in the top-five countries for school performance by 2025. But Liberal candidate for Corangamite Sarah Henderson said Mr Garrett’s visit was “plenty of spin and very little substance”. “He needs to explain why his government has taken such a massive axe to education. This is a government which talks skills and productivity but has just announced $3.9 billion in federal education budget cuts and delays,” Ms Henderson said. “Mr Garrett’s claims of massive new spending in education on school funding changes cannot be believed when Labor is taking the hatchet to their flagship education policies.” Ms Henderson said the cuts and funding delays were revealed just weeks after Labor Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman was blamed “others” for education cuts. “It is breathtaking hypocrisy,” she said.
STAFF SEARCH HITS DEAD END PAGE 3
FEELING SNAKEY: Peter Garrett meets some slippery characters at Torquay College on Wednesday with MP Darren Cheeseman, teacher David Pace and students Jazlyn and Lucie, both 10. Picture: TOMMY RITCHIE
OUR QUEEN OF USA PAGEANTS PAGE 11
Quiet start to schoolies celebrations - so far
Cops watch ‘toolies’ POLICE will keep a close eye on older youths trying to crash the schoolies party on the Surf Coast, according to Victoria Police’s coordinator for the annual end-of-school celebrations. Leading Senior Constable Therese Baker said police had also warned year 12 students about non-school-leavers, called toolies, during presentations in schools across the state. Police were urging schoolies
indecent or offensive behaviour or failing to leave icensed premises when drunk, violent or quarrelsome. The owner of Torquay’s Left Off The Rocks bar, which has been promoting instelf as a schoolies venue, said interstate schoolies had already begun their celebrations in Torquay but had been “well-behaved”. The owner, Rebecca Henderson, said Victorian schoolies officially began this weekend. The venue was admitting
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only patrons aged 18 to 21 during schoolies so they felt “comfortable”, she said. Ms Henderson defined toolies as people over the age of 21 who wanted to “hang out with kids and cause trouble”. “Kids between 18 and 21 have the same interests and they just want to have a good time while they’re here. “In my venue and when they’re out front they’re wellbehaved.” Ms Henderson said the ven-
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ue prohibited shots and “bombs” – a shot dropped into an energy drink – and provided free water every night. Lorne, Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove has also become schoolies venues in recent years. Police have reported few problems during previous schoolies celebrations in the region, with council and support agencies providing various services from emotional support to volunteers walking revellers home after dark.
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to report toolies picking fights or attempting to engage in “unwarranted sexual activities”, Sen Const Baker said. She warned that police would be on the lookout for “green Pplaters and young drivers”. Earlier this week Queensland media reported that police had arrested more toolies than schoolies for offences invovling drugs and indecent or offensive behaviour. Schoolies and toolies face fines of $478 for drunkenness,
By CHERIE DONNELLAN
‘WHAT’S ON’ IN FINALLY FRIDAY PAGES 19-25