Thousands of school students across Bonner will benefit from the expansion of the Morrison Government’s popular Sporting Schools program.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta MP said extending and expanding the program reinforced the Morrison Government’s commitment to ensure children and teenagers across Bonner continued to pursue healthy and active lifestyles.

The Morrison Government is investing $79.6 million to extend the Sporting Schools program for an additional two calendar years to the end of 2024, with a further $20.2 million to be provided to expand the program to students in Years 9 and 10.

“The Sporting Schools program isn’t just an investment to keep kids across Bonner active,” Mr Vasta said.

“It is also a program which creates a tangible pathway for those students who want to make their sporting dreams a reality.

“Extending Sporting Schools across Bonner is also particularly important to support children and their families to reconnect with sport in a safe and healthy way as schools and community sport bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic.”

Established by the Coalition Government in 2015, Sporting Schools partners with 35 National Sporting Organisations to provide free sport-based activities to students of all abilities, to help schools increase children’s’ participation in sport and connect them with community sport opportunities.

More than 8000 schools have received funding through the program which has reached more than 2.2 million students annually.

Currently, the program caters for primary schools students and students in secondary schools up to Year 8.

Expanding the program to include Years 9 and 10 will address the significant decline in sport participation, physical activity and social connectivity in secondary students aged 12-16, particularly amongst girls.

Minister for Sport, Richard Colbeck, said expanding Sporting Schools to students in Years 9 and 10 increases the reach of the program to 1800 secondary schools and an additional 700,000 students, expanding the reach of Sporting Schools to 2.9 million students every year.

“It marks a huge step forward as we continue to support the individual health and wellbeing of students at all levels,” Minister Colbeck said.

“Importantly, the expansion will help focus on talent identification among a cohort of children who could be our athletes of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.

“After the successful performances of our athletes in Tokyo, there has never been a better time for our young sports stars to chart a path to their own success.”