Virtual school for high-ability students

Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino has announced an educational extension program which will enable more than 3500 high-ability students to reach their full potential. 

Starting in Term 4, the 10-week intensive program will feature students from Years 5 to 8 at government primary and secondary schools in the program’s first wave. Up to 48,000 students are expected to take part between now and December 2022.

The program will be run by Virtual School Victoria (formerly Distance Education Centre Victoria) and will be followed by a masterclass with students from their local area.

Schools can also nominate high-ability students to participate in a range of free and high-quality extension activities according to their abilities and interests through the new Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series.

Activities in metropolitan Melbourne and regional areas will include webinars, virtual excursions, lectures and online tutorials and will be delivered during school and non-school hours.

The Victorian Government has partnered with more than 20 expert education and not-for-profit organisations, universities, tech schools, teacher associations, and science and mathematics specialist centres to deliver the series.

Thousands of students have already taken part in activities in the series during Term 3.

Every government school now has a high-ability practice leader to coordinate their school’s participation in these programs and to support their high-ability students.

The Victorian High Ability Program and the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series are key initiatives of the Victorian Government’s new $60.2 million Student Excellence Program, which is equipping schools with the resources, tools and professional learning opportunities needed to support high-ability students.

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