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Cobden Times Wednesday July 8, 2009 Cobden Technical School principal Peter Rock stands where the school's state-of-the-art science rooms will be built.Tech's $1.97 million windfall
Cobden Technical School's science facilities date back to a time when Led Zeppelin were gods and flares were fashionable. But the school's now set to leave the '70's behind after it won $1.97 million in Government funding last week.
The Federal Government's Building the Education Revolution grant will see the school boast a new state-of-the-art facility by June next year. Principal Peter Rock said the school community was overjoyed at the news. The science labs date back to the 70's and the reality is science has come a long way since then," he said. "it's just fantastic."
The new 650sqm science centre will include specialist laboratories, preparatory room, classrooms, a staffroom and toilet facilities. Mr Rock said the design also included an outdoor area. Students can't learn in a bad environment and having that outdoor area there will create a nice atmosphere," he said.
The new science centre looks set to be placed at the rear of the school which is currently home to three portables. "One of those is our Year 12 room which will be moved elsewhere, but the other two have been there since the school first opened and are really geting old." he said. We were always planning to put something there." Mr Rock said the Government template fitted the school's needs perfectly and would never have been possible without significant funding. We've done as much as we possibly can with our own resources," he said.
"We were one of 70 Government Secondary schools in Victoria to get a science or language facility and we're absolutely delighted." Mr Rock said the $1.97 Million was not so easy to come by, with the school competing against others to secure the funding. "It was a compe***ive process," he said. You go through the process of applying through the network then through the region and then at state level" Mr Rock said the school had to prove the work was necessary and that the school was ready for it to start straight away.
He said the school's four existing science rooms could now be converted to general classrooms will also remain in use until the new centre is opened, minimising disruption.
Announcing the funding last week Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said building the facility could also boost local jobs. "The boost to employment is so important at such a critical time for the economy," she said. We will continue investing in the services families need to protect jobs now and to ensure that today's students get a 21st century education so they acquire the skills to be able to get 21st century jobs."
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