MANANGATANG students were invited to take part in a webinar with Victorian Education Minister James Merlino to discuss how rural education could be improved.
Year 11 Manangatang P-12 College students Holly Plant and Alannah Taylor participated in the Victorian Rural Youth Ambassador (RYA) Program, which aims to develop the leadership skills of Victorian rural and remote youth.
It also provides a collective voice for rural and remote students on issues affecting country education.
Holly and Alannah were among 18 rural students who put together a group statement to present to Mr Merlino in a video conference session.
“We pretty much had three main ideas – mental health, learning opportunities, and teachers,” Holly and Alannah told The Guardian.
“We were all in agreement of the three main topics.”
They also spoke about how more opportunities should be available for rural students.
Holly and Alannah said, as part of the program, the students held meetings to prepare for their session with Mr Merlino.
“To discuss what changes we can actually make,” Holly and Alannah said.
The pair said that Mr Merlino actively listened and engaged with the students throughout the session.
“He was answering our questions with good responses,” they said.
“He made us feel like he actually cared about what we had to say.
“We weren’t sure if he wanted to listen, but he did not act any better than us because of his position in the government.
“We’ve heard that people higher up avoid questions, but he was good and made us all feel comfortable.”
Both students met with the rest of the program’s cohort in Melbourne at the start of the year.
Year 11 students can participate in the program for one year.
Holly and Alannah both decided to participate in the program because of their dedication to learning and seeking the best opportunities.
“We’re both pretty vocal about it and to being able to be part of the changes that we can make,” they said.
“We also try to bring in the community, so it’s not just about our school, but also about other schools like ours.”
Both Alannah and Holly live and study in Manangatang.
They have both been at the school since prep, and have seen many changes to the way education is taught at the school.
“The technology side of things is improving,” they said.
“Now with the teachers from other schools (in Ouyen, Robinvale and Sea Lake) that we don’t have onsite, we contact them through Webex.
“It’s increasing our subject choices.”
