Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:49): My constituency question is directed to the Minister for Education in the other place. Last year Victoria saw some of the best VCE results across the nation, with an outstanding completion rate of 97.3 and an increased number of students in this cohort, up approximately 3500 from 2024. I am proud to note that some of the highest achieving schools of 2025 are located in my electorate of Southern Metropolitan Region, including Melbourne High School, Bialik College, Camberwell Girls Grammar, Fintona Girls’ School and more. The Allan Labor government’s investment into education in the 2025–26 state budget was $4.9 billion, because we all know that high-quality education throughout childhood and adolescence is paramount for future success.

The foundations for success are built on early learning, including primary school, and I am glad to note that Camberwell Primary School is undergoing upgrades and modernisation of its main building, projected for completion in late 2026. The project was funded through the then Andrews Labor government, with a 2023–24 state budget investment of $24 million into planning school upgrades, and through the 2024–25 state budget Camberwell Primary received a share of $9.7 million to undergo these works. My question to the Minister for Education is: how are the construction works at Camberwell Primary School progressing at this stage?