PM signs off on new science centre at Marsden State High School
06 July 2009
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd meets students from Marsden State High School during a visit to announce funding for science and language centres in Queensland schools.
Going to school during the holidays isn't something many students would see themselves doing, but then it's not every day they get to meet the Prime Minister and hear their school has scored a $1.9 million new science centre.
A dozen students from Marsden State High School, south of Brisbane, welcomed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard on June 30.
The Prime Minister and his Deputy were at the school to announce funding for the first stage of the Science and Language Centres for 21st Century Secondary Schools program, part of the Federal Government's Building the Education Revolution initiative.
Marsden State High School received more than $1.9 million to build a new science centre.
Principal Alan Jones welcomed the funding and the opportunities it would offer to students.
'More than 1200 of our students study science and this new centre will deliver world-class science facilities and create the best possible learning environments for these kids,' Mr Jones said.
'It will allow our senior students to spend more time in the labs and provide an added incentive for students in our junior and middle years to consider further study and careers in science.'
Head of science at Marsden, Trevor Jones, was heavily involved in putting the school's application together.
'The new centre will accommodate new lab areas and teaching spaces that will provide 21st century facilities for developing science skills in our students,' Mr Jones said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd meets students from Marsden State High School during a visit to announce funding for science and language centres in Queensland schools.
Marsden State High School was among 94 Queensland state schools to share in more than $155 million to build or refurbish science and language centres.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said a total of 537 science laboratories and language-learning centres would be built or refurbished across the country under the first stage of the program.
'This round of funding will see 280 science centres, 179 language centres and 78 dual facilities either constructed or refurbished,' Mr Rudd said.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations was working with education authorities to finalise project costings for a number of other suitable applications.
A full list of successful schools is available from the Federal Government website 
Other languages