Local Parliamentary Convention
Lalor Secondary College has been proudly hosting a Local Parliamentary Convention in the Northern Region since 2004 and will be hosting it’s nineteenth Local Parliamentary Convention this year.
Each year, staff and students have become more experienced at organizing and managing this event. In 2023 the following schools attended the event: Camberwell Grammar School, Lalor North Secondary College, The Lakes South Morang College, Mill Park Secondary College and Northside Christian College.
The program, in Australia, was first introduced in 1995 and in Victoria the National Curriculum Services (NCS) is contracted by the Victorian Department of Education (DE) to deliver the VSPP.
The overall aim of the program is to increase young Australian’s knowledge about the Australian Constitution and the role it plays in our democracy. Other aims are to:
- Provide students with opportunities to explore contemporary political and social issues.
- Encourage students to become better informed about the Australian system of government and how the Australian Constitution provides the framework for our democracy.
- Encourage senior students to take an active interest in traditions, processes and practices of government.
- Promote active citizenship, student representation and youth leadership.
Over the past twenty years we have had many guest speakers from the legal, political and academic fields. Regular speakers and supporters of our Local Parliamentary Conventions have been our State Member for Thomastown, Bronwyn Halfpenny MP and Federal Member for Scullin, the Hon Andrew Giles, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs.
The Local Parliamentary Convention has engaged hundreds of students over the years. The program involves students attending subsequent State Conventions held at Parliament House Victoria and National Conventions held at Parliament House Canberra.
This program has fostered the awareness of current political, social, legal and Constitutional issues and encouraged student leadership amongst the student population.
