Financial support to help Year 7 country students go on camps and excursions with their classmates has been announced by the State Government.

The new program will provide $250 to regional students in year 7 whose families are eligible for the School Card scheme to help with the cost of camps and excursions. The program is expected to support more than 1,000 students.

Acknowledging that camps and excursions provide valuable opportunities for students to socialise and form peer relationships outside the traditional classroom setting, the trial will support these young people to develop a sense of connection and belonging to their peers and school community.

Trips away from the classroom setting also enrich the learning of students, enhancing a range of curriculum areas and provide learning experiences for students in a variety of environments.

While valuable for all students to participate in, country schools face additional challenges when organising excursions, often due to geographic isolation which can increase travel costs.

Country schools will be encouraged to organise camps and excursions in terms 1 and 2 of the school year where an evaluation will be conducted on the initial program to inform its future availability.

More information about the School Card scheme can be found here.