Northern Victoria Region
Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (12:49): (347) My question is to the Minister for Education regarding the urgent need to review and update the Bendigo Education Plan 2018. Bendigo Senior Secondary College is the only public school for students in years 11 and 12 in Bendigo and already close to capacity with over 1700 students. In Bendigo the four public schools only offer years 7 to 10, with more than 3500 students enrolled – that is Eaglehawk Secondary College, Bendigo South East College, Crusoe College and Weeroona College. Bendigo is a growing regional city with more than 120,000 people, and we need more places for students in years 11 and 12. The Department of Education website states that the strategies and actions in the plan would be reviewed regularly since 2020 and include community consultation, but I visited Bendigo Senior Secondary College recently with Dr Matthew Bach, the Shadow Minister for Education, and it appears that no such review has taken place. Given the need to expand senior secondary education in a growing city like Bendigo, can the minister please provide an update on this review and community consultation?
Samantha Ratnam: On a point of order, President, I would like to redirect the constituency question that I just asked to Mr Pearson, who is the responsible minister.
The PRESIDENT: Absolutely. All good.