Hansard debates

Ms SHEED (Shepparton) — I rise to highlight the diversity that is St Georges Road Primary School, Shepparton. I recently attended the school concert and was very impressed by the talent that was on show. I commend the students and the teachers for their efforts in putting on such a great night.

St Georges Road School is proudly unique in its diversity and its wonderful ability to be able to integrate each child and each family. No matter their background, they feel safe and welcome in the school grounds. There are 360 children enrolled at the school speaking countless languages, with 33 per cent of the population from Middle Eastern countries and a further 20 per cent Indigenous children; 8 per cent of the children are refugees, mainly from Afghanistan; and the school has a growing Samoan enrolment. Other children come from South African communities such as Sudan, so they speak many languages, including French. Many will spend their first year in Australia in the school's English Language Centre, and by the end of that intensive 12 months not only will they be much more confident in their English skills but each child proudly will be able to sing two verses of the Australian anthem.

The school is a reflection of other wonderful primary schools in our region and of the wider Shepparton community. We have become one of Victoria's and Australia's most diverse communities. We speak more than 30 languages in our homes by virtue of that diversity. In a world that seems to be full of conflict we live side by side with families, men, women and children from all over the world.