The Mansfield Primary School (MPS) Mt Buller Campus has been operating now for more than 20 years and is still an integral part of the community during the winter season.

Although the Mt Buller primary school has existed since the mid-1960’s the MPS operation side of this education system has been held in the Alpine Central (formerly La Trobe University) building now for more than 15 years.

The population of students varies from year-to-year with the current number being 25 – students range from Prep to Year 12.

Secondary level students can then attend the Mansfield Secondary College Annex situated on level four of the same building.

MPS occupies three rooms of Level 1 of the building and can expand to another room if numbers grow. Sue said enrolment numbers really vary in the school but they can accommodate up to 70 students – which they have reached in the past.

“Student numbers goes in waves depending on the season, the workforce and available accommodation for families,” principal teacher at Mt Buller PS Sue Steel said.

Sue has taught students on Buller for the past 20 years – and has no intention of giving it up yet as she says: “I love it – the teaching and the kids”.

She has seen many students go right through the school including some of the local skiers and snowboarders who have gone on to great heights with their skiing and snowboarding.

Sue said the one important factor about teaching at Mt Buller is there is no internet, no computers so the kids have to learn to actually handwrite and read ‘the old fashioned way’ and they do spelling lessons.

She still teaches proper writing methods and maths, English and reading in the older style.

Sue said she is often asked why they have to learn to write properly rather than use computers and she always explains to the kids that there are times when writing is very important such as writing essays for VCE exams, filling out forms – people cannot always rely on computers.

What else is missing at the Buller school are bells marking period times, lesson period times themselves if one lessons runs over the allocated time then they just carry on until finished, there is no office – everything is done in one or two rooms, coming to school is bit different – sometimes the kids ski to school.

Despite there not being computers the kids enjoy learning, they explore not sciences in other parts f the country as such but the local environment – the alpine regional environment in plants and animals, water, air etc and the indigenous cultures of the area.

She said when the kids return to their normal schools it has been commented that they are more advanced than others in their classrooms.

When not teaching on Buller, Sue teaches outdoor education for all levels of schooling – usually from Eildon/Thornton Outdoor Education Centre and at other places.

A second teacher returning to the school for her second year is Jemma Newton – who also agrees it is the best school in the state.

Jemma comes from Aintree Primary School in Melbourne where there are more than 1300 students on a very large campus.

“It’s quite a big school and it is multiculutural – lots of different cultures, and the buildings are double-storey,” Jemma said.

Jemma said coming to Buller has been a big change for her –"its takes a little bit to adapt to,” she said.

“Here on Buller it is very different to where I am normally posted,” she said. “But I love it. The kids are great, you get to teach on a one-to-one basis and you get to the know the kids and their families very well and what the kids are capable of.”

Jemma takes the Prep to Year 2 students and said she would love to come back next year. ”It is so nice to be able to hang out with the kids and teacher.”

Jemma currently snowboards but is hoping to try out some skis while the snow is good.

And the kids love it also.

Some of the comments from the kids include:

“We like to be around each other, how to help out everyone and I like being able to ski as well,” said one Year 2 girl.

One young boy told how he has been at the Buller school every year from Preps to now and has the record of being the longest attending student at the current school, while another young boy chimed in with “but I am the oldest in the school at present.”

Another little girl said she loves coming to school at Mt Buller because it is fun and there is snow – 'this is my second year and I love it'.

Millie lives in Mansfield – 'here we learn lots of things that we learn at Mansfield as well – its lots of fun especially as we can make lots of new friends; there is lots of new people – and fun to play in the snow'– Milie skis after school. Her favorite ski area is the Park.

An older boy said he loves the school, the teachers and it is lots of fun.