BALLARAT public schools stand to lose close to $300,000 in annual funding after a state government decision to cut $12 million from a vocational program aimed at reducing student drop-outs.The cuts to the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) will affect at least five government schools and nearly 300 students in the region, including Ballarat High School, Ballarat Secondary College, Ballarat South Community Learning Precinct, Daylesford Secondary College and Mount Clear College.Ballarat Secondary College’s Paul Rose was one of the two principals who spoke out against the decision saying the cuts will severely affect the school.Mr Rose said the program allowed students who were not particularly interested in going on to university to achieve their year 12 certificate.“It is a very much a hands-on learning program ... it is highly individualised,” Mr Rose said.“The number of students has doubled in the last three years.”Ballarat High School principal Gary Palmer said the enrolment in the VCAL program had increased 80 per cent in the past five years. “I am not in a position to cut the VCAL program as it would disadvantage too many kids so we have to make savings elsewhere,” Mr Palmer said.“Ultimately, the students and the school suffers.“I am very disappointed that the feedback provided to the Minister of Education Martin Dixon has been ignored.”However, a spokesman for the Minister for Higher Education and Skills Peter Hall, said the changes to the funding arrangements purely related to the co-ordination of the program and not the actual funding for students. The spokesman said the co-ordination funding was provided to assist the establishment of the program which started in 2003.“The changes in funding should not impact on teachers’ jobs and should have no impact on students undertaking VCAL,” he said.“The department will continue to monitor the changes.”Mr Rose said the program could not be run effectively without a co-ordinator.Ballarat Secondary College year 12 student Chris Jones said the VCAL program allowed him to get a head start in realising his dream of starting his own business as a plumber.“University is not my type of thing,” Chris said.“If it wasn’t for VCAL, I wouldn’t know where to start.”Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Mary Bluett said government secondary schools stood to lose up to $126,000 in funding leading to a reduction in VCAL programs especially in rural and regional secondary schools.Ballarat East MP Geoff Howard joined his colleague Ballarat West MP Sharon Knight in condemning the cuts and asking the government to reinstate funding.