RIVERSIDE Primary School is set to benefit from $2.5 million in government capital investments in the upcoming state budget.
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The funding is the first announcement to come from the state budget, which is set to be handed down on May 26.
The two-year investment project will see the construction and upgrade of general learning areas at the school to better support students and increase teaching opportunities.
The primary school is the largest in the state with almost 700 students and a steady growth in enrolments.
Premier Will Hodgman, Treasurer Peter Gutwein, Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff, Health Minister Michael Ferguson and Bass Liberal MHA Sarah Courtney met with principal Jane Bovill and students at the school on Tuesday.
The capital works will commence in 2018-19 and are part of the government’s new infrastructure commitments, to be released in the budget.
Mrs Bovill said she was excited when she heard the announcment and thought the funding would be of a great benefit to the school’s students, teachers and wider community.
She said the funding would be used to recreate, rejuvenate and revamp the school’s facilities.
“The opportunities we provide contribute to our students being happy and respectful,” Mrs Bovill said.
“We want to improve our e-learning strategy across the school and provide spaces that accommodate the adjustments we need to make for some of our students.
“Our goal is to provide greater learning opportunities to our students and having the space to do that will make a huge difference.”
Mr Rockliff said the upgrade was part of a commitment to ensure students had access to contemporary and flexible facilities.
“We always have to think of better ways of how we can engage kids in 21st century ways of learning,” Mr Rockliff said.
“It’s absolutely vital that we engage children and their parents right throughout their schooling, and even pre-schooling.
“This is our first announcement when it comes to the budget more generally and this will form part of the 2016-17 budget.”
Mr Rockliff said further investment was still to come upon the release of the budget.
Already, works on the $7 million capital investment into Kings Meadows High School and $8.5 million at Prospect High School are underway.
“We are committed to developing projects that ensure schools across the state have high quality education facilities,” he said.