There’s a new school on the horizon for children in Point Cook.
Point Cook South Primary School has been fast-tracked to open for term one of 2017.
The state government announced last week that 15 new schools will be opened in the next two years as part of the largest school building project in Victoria.
Point Cook Action Group president Tony Hooper said it was great news for families.
“We welcome any announcement of a new school for this area; it’s fantastic news,” he said.
“There’s a lot of pressure for enrolments at Alamanda Primary, Saltwater Coast and Sanctuary Lakes, so whatever relieves the pressure on those areas is a good thing.
“This does, however, highlight the need for a local secondary school.
“With the population expanding as fast as it is, not only in Point Cook but in Wyndham as a whole, the pressure on infrastructure to support this growth is mounting.
“It’s my hope that [the ministry] will not only look into building a secondary school but
also look at the model that school will use.” Education Minister James Merlino said the new schools – costing $291 million – would be designed, financed, built and maintained for 25 years under the New Schools Public Private Partnership Project.
He said the project’s aim was to deliver new schools earlier for communities that needed them the most.
“[The project] brings together the best expertise and means our teachers and principals can focus on giving every child a world-class education,” Mr Merlino said.
“The previous government halved funding for new schools and upgrades, which neglected communities and families in our fastest- growing areas … leaving our local school system over-crowded and under-resourced.”
Additional community facilities and programs will be incorporated into each design to create community hubs in each school, Mr Merlino said.
In the areas of highest population growth, additional permanent classrooms will be constructed.
