Wendouree Electorate Schools – Ministerial Response
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Original Constituency Question from Juliana Addison MP to Parliament –
My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education. Will the Minister for Education come to my electorate of Wendouree to see how our record investment in education is transforming our schools and supporting our teachers and students?
Across my electorate of Wendouree we have so many amazing government primary and secondary schools, as well as Catholic and independent schools. I am very proud of our government secondary schools in my electorate. In Alfredton we have Ballarat High School, in Wendouree we have Mount Rowan Secondary College and in Sebastopol we have Phoenix college.
Proudly our Labor government has invested tens of millions of dollars into these excellent government schools to deliver transformative upgrades and give our teachers and students the facilities and learning spaces they deserve.
I wish to acknowledge all of the principals across my electorate for their leadership at their schools as well as in our community. I want to thank them, as well as the teaching and support staff, for the excellent work they do supporting students in and out of the classroom.
I particularly wish to recognise the contribution of retiring Ballarat High School principal Gary Palmer. I acknowledge his service of more than 14 years in the role of principal and wish him all the best for the future. Thank you for your tireless work and dedication to achieving strong outcomes for Ballarat High.
I would also like to congratulate Stephan Fields, who has been appointed the next principal of Ballarat High School.
The Allan Labor government is also supporting our teachers in Ballarat and the region with the establishment of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership in Camp Street, Ballarat. The academy is delivering advanced professional learning for high-performing teachers across government, Catholic and independent schools in the centre of Ballarat. As a former teacher I am so pleased that the academy is providing opportunities for teachers locally to develop their skills and become recognised as statewide leaders in teaching excellence while still teaching in classrooms across my electorate and the region.
I am also very proud of our government’s strong support for the Ballarat Specialist School with an investment of $10 million to upgrade and modernise the school. I am pleased to report that the new building on the Gillies Street campus is almost complete and looks fantastic.
We are also supporting St Patrick’s College by investing $2 million under the Non-government Schools Capital Fund for the construction of the new $13.2 million multipurpose centre.
I look forward to welcoming the minister to Wendouree and having the opportunity to show him how we are delivering the Education State across Ballarat.
Response from the Hon. Ben Carroll MP, Minister for Education (23 Jan 2024) –
The Victorian Government is committed to growing educational opportunities for all Victorians. We have invested $14.9 billion over the past 9 years to build new schools and modernise existing educational facilities across Victoria. Our ongoing responsibility is to balance and prioritise the needs of over 1,570 government schools, all with varying requirements.
Schools in Ballarat have been worthy recipients of capital works funding through multiple programs in recent years. As you are aware, in the 2019–20 State Budget Ballarat High School received $800,000, and in 2020, the school received $7.20 million for a major upgrade of the ground floor of the J. J. Sheehan Wing and the administration building. These works were completed in the fourth quarter of 2022. In the 2018–19 State Budget, $4 million was allocated to the school, and in 2019–20, the school received $220,000 through the Essential Maintenance and Compliance Initiative to upgrade the school, including refurbishing and modernising classrooms and facilities in the arts and technology building. In the 2017–18 State Budget, $3.071 million was allocated to the school under the Permanent Modular School Buildings Program. This project delivered a new architect-designed modular building to replace the Year 9 TLC building with new classrooms. This project was completed in the fourth quarter of 2018. I trust that students are enjoying the new facilities delivered by both these projects.
Mount Rowan Secondary College was allocated $6.114 million in the 2022–23 State Budget to upgrade and modernise existing facilities, including classrooms, as part of a new Year 9 Learning Centre. These works are forecast to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. Previously, the college also received $3.596 million in the 2019–20 State Budget for refurbishing the old administration areas, completing landscaping works, and resurfacing the existing courts. These works were completed in the fourth quarter of 2020. In the 2015–16 State Budget, $3 million was allocated to the college. In the 2016–17 State Budget, an additional $3 million was allocated to the college. A further $6.03 million was allocated to the college in the 2017–18 State Budget to refurbish the performing arts facilities, the café, classrooms, and the VCE centre.
Phoenix P-12 Community College received $1.177 million in the 2019–20 State Budget, and $10.594 million in 2020 to extend the basketball gymnasium to include 2 new courts, a meeting room, warm-up room, spectator seating, an office, and kiosk. The project also delivered 2 outdoor tennis courts and completed landscaping. These works were completed in the third quarter of 2022. Additionally, in the 2015–16 State Budget, $10 million was allocated to the college, and a further $600,000 was allocated to the college under the college School Pride and Sports Funding. A new learning precinct at the former Sebastopol Secondary College site was completed, featuring a Years 5–6 ‘Learning Village’ expansion, refurbished classrooms, and constructed an interview room, a staff workspace, toilets, and 2 outdoor spaces. Additionally, a materials technology building and an extension to the gym for performing arts, music, and a competition-grade court were constructed. These works were completed in the third quarter of 2018. The college also received $112,300 as part of the second round of the Inclusive Schools Fund (ISF) to create 5 dedicated quiet areas that are integrated with existing learning spaces. These works were completed in the fourth quarter of 2017.
As you have also noted, Ballarat Specialist School was allocated $10 million in the 2020–21 State Budget to upgrade and modernise the main campus of the school, including providing additional permanent buildings. The school was also allocated $705,000 under the 2020–21 Planned Maintenance Program (PMP) program to undertake maintenance works to both the Gillies Street Campus and Farm Campus of the school, and these works have been rolled into the school’s capital works project. I am pleased to advise that these works are forecast to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. In 2018, $200,000 was allocated to the school in the fourth round of the ISF to convert a courtyard into an accessible and inclusive sensory play space. This was completed in the first quarter of 2020.
Regarding St Patrick’s College Ballarat, under the 2020–21 round of the Non-Government Schools Capital Fund, the college received $2 million to construct a new multipurpose centre that includes an assembly hall, performing arts spaces, and flexible learning areas. This project is currently in the construction stage, and works are forecast to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023.
As you have noted, the Victorian Government has invested $148.2 million over 4 years to establish the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. The Academy has 7 regional centres across Victoria, including, as you have mentioned, one in Ballarat, and provides evidence informed, place based professional learning to teachers and school leaders. The Academy’s Ballarat centre comprises a learning studio, a design thinking space and 4 remote learning studios. The Academy is delivering an expanded suite of leadership programs for government school leaders at every career stage, focused on building leadership excellence. In addition, it delivers a new cross-sectoral, year-long Teaching Excellence Program to support highly skilled and knowledgeable teachers to remain in the classroom while further developing their teaching leadership knowledge, skills and dispositions.
Thank you for your invitation to visit schools in Ballarat. I would be pleased to do so when my schedule permits.
I trust this information is of assistance.