Tuesday, 24 May 2022

Northern Metropolitan Region schools

Dr RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (17:41): (1923) My adjournment matter tonight is for the Minister for Education, and my ask is that he undertakes a strategic plan for three public secondary schools in the northern suburbs of Moreland. Last month I had the pleasure to meet with RISE North, a community group of over 850 Moreland residents championing better public secondary education in Moreland’s north.

Moreland is home to three local public secondary schools, Glenroy Secondary College, John Fawkner Secondary College and Pascoe Vale Girls College. While the public primary schools in the area are high performing, secondary schools have been underfunded and under-utilised, with local families increasingly choosing schools outside of the area. Since 2014 there has been a 30 per cent decline in enrolments at Pascoe Vale Girls College, 11 per cent at Glenroy Secondary College and 10 per cent at John Fawkner College. Community members also report that the two co-educational schools do not offer a broad range of subjects or programs compared to other schools in the northern suburbs.

John Fawkner College in particular is in desperate need of capital funding to undertake much-needed redevelopment works. I have heard from members of the school community that facilities are inadequate and no longer fit for purpose. The school has recently completed its master plan for development, which is shovel ready and awaiting funding. However, no funding has been provided by the government for the works, and the school once again missed out on funding in last week’s budget.

Our public education system is precious, and we should be investing heavily in all of our public schools to create a world-class public education system in Victoria. It is disappointing that once again schools in the north of Moreland have missed out on much-needed funding. Community members are keen to work with the Department of Education and Training to develop an education plan for the area that is fit for purpose for the community, with a focus on improving student enrolments, retention and outcomes. I ask the minister to engage with RISE North and the Moreland community to develop a strategic plan for the northern Moreland secondary schools.