24 May 2017 Yea Chronicle, Yea VIC (General News) SCHOOLS in Murrindindi Shire including Marysville Primary School, Buxton Primary School, Flowerdale Primary School, Toolangi Primary School, Eildon Primary School and the Rubicon Outdoor Centre are expected to gain better bandwidth. The Victorian Budget 2017/18 included a $16.4 million statewide investment to improve bandwidth and digital connectivity for students in 347 small rural and regional Victorian government schools. Labor Upper House Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, said 160 Northern Victorian schools would benefit from the funding boost. It will double the internet bandwidth of these smaller country schools and level the playing field so that students and teachers outside of our cities arent left behind. Country schools will have faster and more reliable access to online teaching and learning resources to support learning programs and an extended choice of subjects to choose from. They are doubling the bandwidth provision to 347 country schools, including 160 in Northern Victoria, to make sure all students can access a first-rate digital education regardless ofwhere they live. The aim is for local students to have the standard of digital education as metropolitan schools. No student in Northern Victoria should miss out on learning the skills they will need for the jobs of the future. This years Budget also includes $67.9 million for better IT support for schools and students across Victoria. This funding will see information technology across all government schools upgraded to provide reliable access to digital services in the classroom that are essential to teaching and learning. It also compliments the roll-out of 10 new Tech Schools by renewing Wi-Fi in schools and implementing a new state-wide virtual conferencing system for more than half a million students in Victorian government schools. These investments in digital education are part of the state governments larger investment of almost $300 million in a range of school-based programs to help boost the skills students need to thrive in Northern Victoria. w Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.