Great Southern discussions positive

Last week I visited Albany and Mount Barker to meet with children and young people and local service providers.

In Albany I met with one of my 2016 Advisory Committees, the students from North Albany Senior High School. This committee is made up of young people from both the student council and the school’s Rising Albany Yorgas program.

Throughout the year this committee will work with me to look at the issue of school engagement, what barriers children and young people face and how we can better support them to continue their education.

The students were really positive and open to contributing their ideas on how the committee would work this year and their thoughts on what keeps them engaged in their schooling.

While in the Great Southern, I had the opportunity to see the positive impact the Albany PCYC is having on the lives of local young people through their programs, particularly the Strike II program on Friday evenings. Manager Terry Eaton and staff are providing a valuable service to the young people in the community.

This positive approach was also evident in Mount Barker, where the Mount Barker Community College is working to make connections in the community through establishing playgroups for local families. On the day I visited the weekly Madar Group for Afgani mothers and young children was meeting at the school.

Across all of the schools I visited, the Mount Barker Community College, North Albany Senior High School and Mount Lockyer Primary School, I met engaged teaching staff and students.

The new Mount Lockyer Child and Parent Centre only opened its doors two weeks ago and is already running some programs that will assist local families with early learning and development. This centre is operated by Wanslea and will be an asset to the local community.  

I will publish a report on this regional visit in the near future.

Colin Pettit
Commissioner for Children and Young People