Thursday, 24 March 2022

Forest Hill electorate schools funding

Mr ANGUS (Forest Hill) (17:14): (6302) I raise a matter of importance for the attention of the Minister for Education. The action I seek is for the minister to ensure there is funding included in the forthcoming state budget to fund the desperately needed infrastructure improvements that are required at many of the schools in the Forest Hill district. The demand for school places within the various very successful schools in the Forest Hill district continues unabated. Sadly, however, the infrastructure has not kept pace nor kept up to date with the growth that has been expressed locally. As a result, there are numerous local schools that have buildings and facilities which are just not fit for purpose.

I have raised the needs of my local schools many times in this place since being elected. Thankfully over the years there has been some funding to make improvements at some of the schools; however, there is still much more that needs to be done.

Fantastic local schools like Vermont Primary School, Highvale Primary School, Camelot Rise Primary School, Livingstone Primary School, Orchard Grove Primary School, Vermont Secondary College and Forest Hill College, just to mention a few, are all in great need of funding to bring their facilities up to standard. Members of these school communities continue to contact me to express their concerns about the condition of the buildings and facilities at their schools. They are desperately seeking support to have the facilities brought up to current standards and improve the schooling experience for their children.

Minister, I note that the government likes to refer to Victoria as the Education State, so ensuring the school facilities available for students in the Forest Hill district are up to standard should be a priority for the government. Thus I look forward to receiving a positive answer from you with money provided in the budget so I can convey this to my constituents and the various school communities and others who have contacted me about this very important local issue.