By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A DEPARTMENT of Education director has thrown his weight behind plans for the Hallam Senior College Sport and Health Sciences Academy.
But the department’s regional director for south-eastern Victoria John Allman said this week that there is still no guarantee of government funding for the project.
Last Wednesday Mr Allman was one of many guests at a special information evening at Hallam Senior College as the school officially launched its strategic plan for the new academy.
The plan outlines seven key strategic directives to see the sport academy hopefully opened by 2017.
While the new academy’s viability is dependent on funding, Mr Allman said he thought the proposal had increased its potential through increasing its scope to include health sciences.
“A health sciences academy creates another exciting dimension to its offering as a school.
“They have done research and the response has been very sound,” he said.
“I thought it (the information evening) was a positive, it was obviously well supported by all groups within the community and almost a celebration of a school on the path to something very significant.”
Mr Allman said funding for any infrastructure was dependent on “departmental process”.
“This particular project is about its offerings with the school.
“It’s not reliant on additional government funding,” he said.
“The department is always interested in schools involving themselves in creative partnerships but that doesn’t guarantee funding.”
Since last year Hallam Senior College principal Anne Martin has been consulting with local, state and federal governments to explain how the school’s current academy was reaching capacity and would benefit from an expansion.
The school’s existing sport academy was launched in 2006 with 20 students and has grown to include 309 students across four sports – Australian rules football, rugby league, soccer and basketball.
Casey councillors Geoff Ablett, Amanda Stapledon, Rafal Kaplon and Wayne Smith also attended last Wednesday’s information evening along with Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan.
