Bimbadeen Heights Primary School was one six schools to receive a visit from the Speaker of the House of Representatives as part of the Parliament in Schools program.
The Mooroolbark school welcomed the Federal parliamentarian Milton Dick, alongside Casey MP Aaron Violi, during his tour of Victorian schools on Wednesday 1 May.
Students learnt about federation, democracy and the Australian Parliament, as well as what a typical day looks like for their local member and the Speaker both in their electorates and when they are in Canberra for a sitting week.
“The Parliament in Schools program is an integral part of improving civics education across Australia,” Mr Dick said.
Launching the program in 2022, Mr Dick said at the time it was about allowing schools the opportunity to hear and learn about parliament without having to travel the distance.
“At the moment, we have a fantastic schools program run at Parliament House in Canberra by the PEO. In 2021-22, 19,468 students from 347 schools across Australia participated in an onsite PEO program,” he said in September 2022.
“But not all students will get the opportunity to travel all the way to Canberra. This is why we are taking this program on the road, and bringing it to them.”
This trip to Victoria, Mr Dick said, would include the 100th visit to a school since the program’s inception.
Mr Violi said it was great to engage with the students and hear some of their thoughts about the role of parliament.
“It was fantastic to chat to the students of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School about my role as our local MP and to see their keen interest in our Parliamentary system,” he said.
“There were some thoughtful questions asked about both my role and the role of the Speaker and you could tell students were gaining a deeper understanding of our democracy.”
Despite being from opposite political parties, with Mr Violi representing the Liberals and Mr Dick the Labor government, that’s what makes the initiative so successful.
“This program’s success is driven by its bipartisanship. I am really looking forward to spending time with these Federal MPs from across the political spectrum, to bring the Australian Parliament into their local schools,” Mr Dick said.
