PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Swan View Senior High School this morning to pledge additional education funding under a deal for indigenous students that forms part of the new Gonski package.
The school will gain an additional $153,000 in 2018 as part of an $8.5 million funding boost for the school over the next 10 years.
Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt joined Mr Turnbull and Education Minister Simon Birmingham on a tour of the school.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWThey also met students from the Swan View Clontarf Academy, established at the school in 2014 for indigenous students from years 8 to 12.
Head girl Jess Barnes and head boy Josh Martin escorted the ministers, with time built in to chat with indigenous students at Clontarf and join drama students on the set of their recent production Lord of the Flies.
The tour on Monday ended in the library, with Mr Turnbull in the hot seat as years 7 and 9 students quizzed the nation’s leader on trade relations, the economy and the environment.
Swan View SHS Pprincipal Melesha Sands said Mr Wyatt selected the school for the once-in-a-lifetime visit.
“Mr Wyatt is an advocate of our school and very familiar with our leadership, drama and other specialist programs,” she said.
“The visit was about time with our students; my role was to welcome the ministers before handing over to our student council representatives, who did an amazing job.
“Never before has a prime minister visited our school.”
Ms Sands said media students gained real-life experience as they worked alongside camera crews.
“A media group of about 30 students led by Frazer Beazley co-ordinated with the Prime Minister’s media office; their work will form part of an assessment,” she said.
WA students are reported to be among the biggest winners of the Government’s schools funding reforms. Mr Wyatt said funding for indigenous students in WA would grow at the fastest rate of any state or territory from $1480 per student each year to $2626.
MORE: PM’s first stop is Mindarie pub
MORE: National Missing Persons Week: Rigby Fielding’s family looking for answers
MORE: The WA couple touted as the ones to beat in The Block 2017