Northern Metropolitan Region
Mr ONDARCHIE (Northern Metropolitan) (12:21): (1786) My constituency question is for the Minister for Education. Residents in Melbourne’s north are concerned about the state of their secondary schools. I recently met with the community group Rise North, which was formed because of the lack of equality of educational opportunities in our secondary school system. They have over 900 members. They reported to me that public secondary schools are not well utilised and not reflective of the community’s needs. There is a lack of opportunities for students zoned for John Fawkner secondary and Glenroy secondary college. These schools do not offer as broad a range of subjects, curriculums or programs as other schools do, limiting the ability of the students to thrive and excel during their educational journey. My question for the minister is: will the government develop an educational plan for the northern suburbs focusing on equality of opportunity for and increasing local community support for and enrolments at Pascoe Vale Girls College, John Fawkner secondary college and Glenroy secondary college and implementing a broader range of subjects, including but not limited to select entry accelerated learning programs or similar, to meet community needs and wants across these three schools to improve student engagement and outcomes? The residents feel they are being taken for granted in Melbourne’s north, and they want a better education for their children.