TRACEY BENDINGER | Culture | Contact
Betoota Public School’s year 6 students are today gearing up for their biggest excursion to date.
In what’s become a rite of passage for all 12-year-olds, the class of 2019 have packed their bags and are about to board a flight to the nation’s capital, Canberra.
While the students are bursting at the seams with excitement, the teachers look like they’re heading off to war.
“It’s just such a shit hole” said Mr. Brighly, year 6B’s teacher.
“There are 3 things there, Questacon, The War Memorial and Fyshwick”
“The kids think going there is a reward for graduating, but it’s actually a covert way to make them work harder in high school”
Mr. Brighly is referring to the clever program created by Betoota’s Education Minister in 1980. She believed that if kids were exposed to Canberra, the biggest shit hole in Australia, they’d be scared into studying hard out of fear of ending up there.
Since its implementation, the plan has seen incredible success, with 70% of Betoota Public School kids going on to lead successful lives.
The other 30%, unfortunately, ended up in Canberra, some dealing drugs and others just living under rocks until Summernats comes to town.
With the ulterior motive of the excursion lost on the kids, the Betoota Airways flight is buzzing.
We’ll check in later to see if spirits are still as high after each kid has gone down the Questacon Free Fall for the 5th time.
More to come.
