Thursday, 6 February 2020

Glenroy West Primary School

Ms BLANDTHORN (Pascoe Vale) (17:20): (1844) I appreciate the opportunity to raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is that the minister consider funding capital upgrades at Glenroy West Primary School to accommodate the significant future enrolment growth predicted for this school community.

Glenroy West Primary School is a fantastic primary school. It is the only local school that offers the International Baccalaureate in what is an extremely diverse and multicultural community. This International Baccalaureate program means that there are a number of families from across the local area that are desperate to get into this school. It is also a school whose facilities are well and truly outdated. The facilities are run down, they are below standard and it is absolutely essential that there be an upgrade of this school in the near future.

As the minister is aware from his visit last year to the school and indeed as the Premier is aware from his visit to announce the $200 000 inclusive playground grant at the school late last year as well, it is very clear how committed the staff, the parents and the students are to their school community. Principal Pamela Streete is a fierce advocate for her school community. We have invested much in the schools around our local area, and as she says, it is well and truly the turn of Glenroy West Primary School.

Departmental figures project that the school enrolments will grow from approximately 326 students in 2020 to 587 in 2024, and local in-zone demand is projected to rise from approximately 452 students in 2020 to 521 in 2024. This is massive and rapid enrolment growth; it is massive and rapid demand for this school. The school is already providing a leading education and, as I said, it is providing the International Baccalaureate in a very diverse community where families are embracing this educational program. But it needs the facilities to be able to cater for the students in the area, to cater for this growth, and I would ask the minister to consider looking at the facilities in terms of whether they will be able to meet this growing demand and to consider funding capital upgrades at Glenroy West Primary School.