Libs offer a schools bonanza

By Ed Merrison
CASEY could find itself scoring an education double under a Baillieu Government, according to Opposition plans announced last week.
Narre Warren was named as a probable location of two new schools proposed by Liberal leader Ted Baillieu, who declared that education would be the centrepiece of a Liberal Government.
Announcing a four-point education plan on Saturday, 19 August, Mr Baillieu said he would re-open five Victorian technical schools and establish four new selective schools of excellence.
Although locations have not been confirmed, Mr Baillieu said Narre Warren was anticipated to be the location of one of each of the schools.
Another key aspect of Mr Baillieu’s plans was a pledge of $250 million to eliminate a school maintenance backlog he claimed had almost doubled in cost under Labor.
Narre Warren South Liberal candidate Michael Shepherdson said the new schools would give Casey families the quality education they deserved and would allow children to learn in their own neighbourhood.
“Labor has failed to plan or provide any vision for Casey. State secondary schools are already bursting at the seams and have had to knock back enrolments,” he said.
Mr Baillieu said the new, modern technical colleges would be built to provide a career path for students with skills and interests in technical education.
“Students will receive specialist training linked to workplace requirements in the crucial middle-years, Years 7 to 10, when strengths are revealed and futures are formed.
“A quality maths and English curriculum will be paramount,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Baillieu said selective secondary schools would promote excellence, foster talent and provide an advanced learning education.
“Each selective school will be an important source of information for surrounding schools regarding curriculum research, training and mentoring, and particularly literacy and numeracy training for teachers and students in each region,” he said.
The Opposition plan would allow principals to develop specialist entry programs within mainstream government schools, with talented students from surrounding schools invited to join programs either in person or online.
But Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan was unimpressed by the proposals, describing the technical college as “too little, too late” in the light of the Bracks Government’s recent announcement that a new Technical Education Centre (TEC) would be located at Chisholm Institute of TAFE’s Berwick campus.
Mr Donnellan said talent was being fostered under the current government.
“I think we’ve currently got excellence in our local schools. I’m comfortable with the quality of secondary education we have at the moment,” he said.
Mr Baillieu said the Opposition funding pledge would address the maintenance requirements of every school identified in the latest government school maintenance audit.
“A Liberal Government will also commit to open and transparent funding for school maintenance by regularly updating the maintenance database and making results publicly available,” Mr Baillieu said.
However, Mr Donnellan claimed no such maintenance backlog existed, and said the Bracks Government had invested an average of over $60 million per year on school maintenance.