School funds win- La Trobe MP Jason Wood celebrates Berwick Lodge Primary School winning what

By Kelly Yates
A SCHOOL community is celebrating after winning what it describes as a “funding battle” with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Berwick Lodge Primary School principal Henry Grossek told the News the school now had something to smile about after being told by Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard during a forum in Narre Warren this week that the department was wrong in relation to the funding for Berwick Lodge Primary School.
Mr Grossek said he was initially concerned that the school was at grave risk of being allocated a substantially lower level of funding than they were entitled to for a learning facility under the Federal Government’s education revolution program.
Mr Grossek said that, under the proposal, the learning facility would have been inadequate.
He said the Mansfield Street school was told by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development that instead of having the opportunity to use the $3 million funding boost to construct a new library and six classrooms, they needed to use the funding to build a gymnasium.
The school already has a sufficient gymnasium, according to Mr Grossek.
“What the school council, parents, staff and students want is to have a library, as the existing one has become too small to cater for the 750 students, and six additional classrooms.”
Mr Grossek said many principals raised concerns similar to those of Berwick Lodge Primary School.
Ms Gillard said she was happy to resolve the issue. “We are always prepared to sort it out,” she said.
Mr Grossek said Ms Gillard assured the principals that they were entitled to their full allocation of funds for their school size, unless in writing they chose not to do so.
He said that the Deputy Prime Minister said in cases where the template designs did not meet the allocation funding for the school, the schools could choose to build a companion building to the value of the difference.
“This is a big win for the kids at Berwick Lodge Primary School and for the all children at government schools,” he said.
“The principals left the meeting feeling very happy as they felt the support from Julia Gillard.”
La Trobe MP Jason Wood said it seemed bizarre and crazy that a school couldn’t get a library.
“This government needs to make sure that it gets stuck into the State Education Department in Victoria to make sure the federal funding is used for what Berwick Lodge Primary School wants it to be used for.”