Questions still need to be answered about the federal government decision to cut funding to an important Dubbo program to develop young Aboriginal leaders.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The move is all the more curious when another program run by the same school, Dubbo College Senior Campus, is celebrating its 10th anniversary of helping students stay in school, training or work.
The college will meet federal MP Mark Coulton and Dubbo mayor Matthew Dickerson over the cut to the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program (IYLP).
IYLP backers hope the community will get involved and people power might make government continue funding.
The college, the only public school broker in the IYLP system, has lost funding from the end of 2016 but money will still go to private schools and non-government organisations for the program.
The funding for 2015 to support 48 students is $1.2 million.
Supporters and backers hail the success of the IYLP in Dubbo, which has helped 150 students over the years.
The other program, Get Real, involves students, business leaders and the community and is credited with making a “definitive difference” to the lives of 47 students and supporting 500 others in its first five years.
As with IYLP, all involved sing its praises. Get Real was last year granted its first federal government funding - $1.6 million over three years.
Both programs benefit the college, students and community.
The government gets a good mark for Get Real and a fail for IYLP.
