Education is set to become a major state election battlefield after Labor promised $7 million to repair Werribee Secondary College if it is elected in November.
The ALP says the money would be used to repair some of the school’s old and substandard buildings after years of government neglect.
Opposition education spokesman James Merlino visited Werribee yesterday to make the funding commitment.
He said if Labor was elected, stage three of the school would be completed and many of the outdated buildings presently used by students would be knocked down and replaced.
But he would not commit to funding for Tarneit Senior Secondary College and Tarneit P-9, both of which are waiting for money to complete their schools.
The state government would not commit to matching the Werribee college funding promise.
Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury said voters should be wary of any promises made by Labor. “Instead of making another uncosted, unfunded and undeliverable promise, [Tarneit MP Tim Pallas] should be explaining why he should be trusted at all,” Mr Elsbury said. “By Mr Pallas’s admission, Labor neglected to provide funding for Werribee Secondary College while in government.”
The commitment comes amid claims that Wyndham schools will miss out on $277 million over the next decade following cuts to federal government funding.
Federal Lalor Labor MP Joanne Ryan said schools in the electorate would suffer greatly as the government looked to trim $30 billion from
the current budget.
Under Labor’s Gonski reforms, Lalor schools were due to receive additional funding for students who are disabled, have English as a second language, are newly arrived migrants or come from low-income families.
Ms Ryan said funding had been taken away. “This community has a young and growing population, meaning we will be the worst-hit area in the country,” Ms Ryan said.
“The impact of these cuts is very real – every student will get $1000 less support every year. Students will miss out on the support they need, including literacy and numeracy programs, sport, music and extra teachers.”
The federal Education Department did not respond before Star Weekly went to print.
