The Andrews Government has responded to a Coalition pledge of another public secondary school in Greater Shepparton by saying the Opposition cannot be trusted.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy visited Shepparton on Thursday, September 15 to announce the commitment to initiate community consultation with the intention of it leading to another secondary school in the area.
It has not said what type of school it would be or where it would be located, saying that would be led by the community through the consultation.
Shadow Education Minister David Hodgett said the Coalition fundamentally believed in “school choice”.
The government said any commitment by the Opposition should be viewed by the local community with suspicion.
“Last time they were in government they cut more than $1 billion from our education system, slashing the Education Maintenance Allowance, cutting funding for speech pathologists, psychologists and social workers in schools and failing to invest in the new schools our growing state needed,” a government spokesperson said.
The government maintains creation of the Greater Shepparton Secondary College, which opened in 2022 with places for 2700 students, has provided students with choice through the widest-ever range of subjects and the latest technology and facilities.
The government said the school was divided up into nine houses and three neighbourhoods to promote “small school” environments, had specialist precincts for technology, performing and fine arts and sciences, a gymnasium with two competition-sized basketball and netball courts, a fitness and weights room, dance and yoga spaces and outdoor learning areas.
“For too long, student outcomes in Shepparton were below state averages, and below what these kids deserved, that’s why we listened to the community, invested $119 million to build the GSSC and deliver the world-class technology, sporting and performance facilities every student deserves, no matter where they live,” the spokesperson said.
Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed said she was open to the creation of another public secondary school in the region.
“The notion of a second school is not something I’m opposed to,” Ms Sheed said.
“It was actually one of the options in the Shepparton Education Plan.
“Ultimately the government decided on the one school on the site of Shepparton High School.
“It’s not full by any means, but from the point of view of the community, if there were sufficient people who wanted to send their child to another school and the government wanted to pay for it you have to have these discussions.”
Ms Sheed said before the Shepparton Education Plan and the new college, the secondary schools in the area had been severely neglected, and students sometimes had to travel between schools to receive the lessons they required.
She said Greater Shepparton needed a technical school teaching high-tech subjects and increased investment in the region’s early education institutions, including early childhood and primary schools.
“It’s not good enough that they’re in shabby old schools when so many new schools are being built,” she said.
“They really do need investment. I think they do feel left out.”