# Kelvin Thomson MP Labor Member for Wills Tara Monday 5" July 2010/ac The Hon Bronwyn Pike MP Victorian Minister for Education Member for Melbourne 50 Lonsdale Street MELBOURNE VIC 3000 Dear Minister, am writing to you following The Age article published on the 13” June titled ‘Urgent need for city schools’. The article sets out the mounting evidence that Coburg residents and young people need and want a local open entry year 7 to 12 High School. Research commissioned by The Sunday Age reveals that delays in building new schools in inner suburbs, including Coburg, could lead to sudden overcrowding, with more than 4000 additional primary schoo! aged students expected to be jostling for desk space in 2016. That is enough students to create 164 extra classes of 25 students each. According to the article, based on official government population projections, there is going to be a shortfall of schools in inner-suburbs. Along with this evidence, there is a great deal of other information that points to the need for a Coburg High School. Following the announcement by the Christian Brothers that it would close the St Joseph's ‘Secondary School campus in Pascoe Vale and North Melbourne by 2010, | was contacted by many residents throughout the community expressing concer over secondary school options in Moreland. | therefore arranged the Wills-Moreland Education F on 18 February 2009 to discuss options with local residents on how secondary education resources and infrastructure in my electorate could be improved. ‘The forum was a great success and was attended by the Member for Pascoe Vale, Christine Campbell, representatives from the High School for Coburg Group, local school Principals, Australian Education Union representative, Mr Justin Mullaly, and two hundred local residents. Residents at the Forum expressed a great deal of concern over secondary education options currently afforded to the local community. Residents indicated to me that the closure of St Joseph's College, along with the closures of Coburg High, Newlands High, Oak Park High, Moreland High, Hadfield High and Coburg North Secondary College, have dealt serious. blows to the educational options available to young people growing up in the Moreland ‘community. Concerns were also raised about existing secondary school options and the need to significantly improve infrastructure and student outcome standards. Electorate Office: 3 Munro Street. Cobura Vic 3058 Ph: (03) 93505777 Fax: (03) 9350 6613The Forum produced a number of key recommendations for consideration by the Vietorian Government in order improve local secondary education options. These recommendations included establishing a new secondary schoo! to be provided for years 7 to 12 in Coburg or Pascoe Vale, the Coburg Senior College site on Bell Street Coburg be expanded to cater for year 7 to 12 students, the Victorian Government to purchase the St Joseph's College site in Pascoe Vale and establish a local secondary school, investing significantly in existing local secondary schools including Box Forest, Fawkner, Brunswick and Strathmore to cater for increasing population demand and to lift standards and opportunity locally, and the boundaries of local secondary schools should be reviewed, based on the fact they do not take into account the closures of schools since they were last reviewed. Following the Forum | established a local Secondary Education Working Group made up of representatives from the High Schoo! for Coburg Group and other residents, for the purpose of maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the local community regarding this important issue. | have been working closely with parents on this issue and will continue to do so. am very pleased that since the Wills Education Forum, the Australian Government has invested over $100 milion to local primary and secondary schools under the NNatfon Building Economie Stimulus Plan and Education Revolution Programs. The funding is allowing each and every school throughout Wills to modernise, upgrade and construct new educational infrastructure. The Australian Government funding will greatly assist existing local schools to cater for the projected increase in local population projections generated from increased development throughout the area. | cannot stress too strongly that parents in Coburg and Pascoe Vale are very concerned about the present gaps in secondary educational options for their school-aged children. | also note that at last year’s Victorian ALP State Conference, delegates moved that increased investment in schools throughout northern Melbourne take place and that an open entry high school be established. | hope this issue can be worked on as a matter of urgency, and would greatly appreciate your investigation and action in response to the concems of parents and the needs of children. Yours sincerely KELVIN THOMSON MP Federal Member for Wills Ene: