Schools across Geelong, the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula will be the first in the state to receive digital upgrades funded by the Victorian Government.
The Victorian Budget 2017/18 included $67.9 million for better IT support for schools and students across the state.
Minister for Education James Merlino said that 63 government schools across the region will be the first in Victoria to have new virtual conferencing systems installed as part of the Labor Government investment.
In addition, nine schools will have their internet bandwidth doubled as part of a $16.4 million state-wide investment announced to improve regional connectivity. According to the government, the investment means all schools across Geelong, the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula will have the same internet speeds as their metropolitan counterparts.
It aims to give students faster and more reliable access to online resources to support learning programs and an extended choice of subjects.
The latest budget also provided more than $21 million to upgrade 15 schools across these communities.
The funding includes $2.84 million for Ashby Primary School, $2.41 million for Chilwell Primary School in Newtown, $3.22 million for Leopold Primary School and $653,000 for Ceres Primary School.
More than 40 school infrastructure projects have now been funded across the region, with more than $100 million provided over the past three budgets to build and upgrade schools.