Tuesday, 5 May 2026

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (19:06): (1641) The budget is out today, and it is big doughnuts when it comes to education for my electorate of Caulfield. The action that I seek is that the minister come and visit my schools and tell the students in Caulfield why they are not worthy of receiving the funding that they deserve in our electorate – very plain and simple. For 12 years this government has had the opportunity to fix our schools, to repair our schools and to provide the basics for our schools, and they have delivered absolutely nothing. We are meant to be the Education State – you see it on our numberplates – but that does not translate into my electorate of Caulfield.

Take Caulfield Primary School and Caulfield Junior College, two schools that provide bilingual education – Caulfield Primary when it comes to Japanese and English, and Caulfield Junior has a French program – they are great schools without the facilities. These schools still have their assemblies outdoors in the rain. They do not have multipurpose facilities. They are desperate for them, but they do not have them. These schools are over 100 years old, but the facilities are pretty much as old as the schools. Ripponlea Primary School is very, very similar. They, again, have their assemblies out on the asphalt in the outdoors because they do not have the facilities. They desperately need a STEM centre, a multipurpose facility.

Also our secondary schools – Glen Eira College has safety issues, having two campuses that sit across the road from one another. They have been requesting a bridge because of the difficulties of the road itself. Four hundred students cross each and every day between lessons. Again the government has ignored those calls. This budget is meant to be easier, safer and more affordable. It is none of that when it comes to what it is delivering in my electorate of Caulfield.

Back to Caulfield Junior College, we have a parent who is at the moment advocating for a lift for their child with a disability, not having the ability go between floors with her wheelchair. The government has said, ‘Well, get some quotes and work with the VSBA,’ and it is the parent having to work through quotes and deal with the basics that this government should be doing. This government is failing Victorians. This government are failing my electorate, particularly when it comes to education, and we want the government to get their skates on. The minister can come down, have a visit, a cup of tea and maybe a doughnut with Caulfield Primary School, Caulfield Junior College, Ripponlea Primary School and Glen Eira College and finally give them the funding that they deserve.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Caulfield, that was for the Minister for Education.