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Funding for Monash in Victorian Budget

14 May 2008

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Adam Shoemaker said the John Monash Science School would focus on the crucial disciplines of science, mathematics, and associated technologies.

Monash University was allocated up to $37 million in education and research projects in last week's Victorian Budget.

The State Government allocated $20 million to design and build the John Monash Science School (JMSS), to be located at the Clayton campus.

The science school will be at the forefront of innovative research and learning and advanced science-teacher training.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Adam Shoemaker said the school was the culmination of more than five years of planning and cooperation between the University and colleagues from the Victorian Education Department.

"It will be a fully operational specialist secondary school, covering Years 10, 11 and 12, and will focus on the crucial disciplines of science, mathematics and associated technologies," Professor Shoemaker said.

"It will be built in a very prominent location on Wellington Road, less than 100 metres from the University's own Science and Medicine Faculties.

"Education, research and mentoring will work in both directions between the partners.

"The JMSS will not just benefit its students, who will be chosen for their aptitude and motivation in these crucial subject areas, it will also provide a key focus for the professional development of science and mathematics teachers throughout the whole of Victoria and potentially Australia with the implementation of the new national curriculum model from 2011."

Professor Shoemaker said it was particularly pleasing that the JMSS would form a key element of the Monash Passport approach to education, which was being launched this year.

Professor Amanda Lynch believes the Climate Change Adaptation Research Centre will boost Victoria's capacity to respond to the challenges of drought, bushfire and flood.

"This means that Monash will - by the time the School opens in 2010 - have the most far-reaching secondary school enhancement program of any university in Australia," Professor Shoemaker said.

"This will be just one element of our student-centred approach to learning and teaching."

In other budget outcomes, Monash will partner with the University of Melbourne and the State Government to establish a new $5 million Climate Change Adaptation Research Centre to examine how south-east Australia can respond to climate change.

Projects will include developing adaptation strategies for the health, agricultural and infrastructure sectors, as well as programs that focus on regional communities and extreme events.

Specialist climate and adaptation scientist and Federation Fellow Professor Amanda Lynch said the research program would boost Victoria's capacity to respond to challenges such as drought, bushfire and flood, which were expected to increase due to global warming.

"Some degree of climate change is inevitable," Professor Lynch said.

"However, Victorians have a wealth of experience in coping with our variable climate. We can harness that experience to meet this challenge.

"Early adaptation to climate change will put Victoria in a better position to cope socially and economically to a changing climate."

Professor Lynch said adaptation research was inherently place-based, relying on decisions taken at the state, territory and local level.

In other funding announcements $4.8 million will fund a pregnancy assessment unit at Monash Medical Centre Clayton. This will cater for an extra 200 births per year, improving antenatal management and increasing the capacity of the postnatal wards and birthing suites.

$19 million was also set aside to begin the first stages of Victoria's two new selective-entry schools, including one that will be built directly adjacent to Monash University's Berwick campus.

The Monash Council recently agreed to put aside land to the north of the campus for construction of the new co-educational school, which is expected to be up and running in 2010.

Meanwhile, yesterday's Federal Budget contained several initiatives for the higher education sector including: $5 billion for the new Education Investment fund, incorporating the existing $6 billion Higher Education Endowment Fund; a $500 million one-off payment to be spread across the sector for infrastructure; commonwealth scholarships for undergraduates doubled to 88,000 over four years; 1000 mid-career fellowships for Australian and international researchers; and reduced fees for new students commencing maths and science courses. More details in next week's memo.