By Charlene Macaulay
Wyndham children have access to half the number of primary and secondary schools compared to those across Greater Melbourne, new data has revealed.
According to the council’s Schools 4 Wyndham website, there are 1.3 secondary schools available per 5000 children in Wyndham’s growth areas, compared to 2.7 schools for students across Greater Melbourne – and this disparity is expected to grow, with an estimated 150,000 children to attend Wyndham schools over the next 20 years.
The website states that Wyndham is also home to some of the most overcrowded schools in Victoria.
Wyndham mayor Mia Shaw said on average, 1161 students aged between five and 17 are enrolled across 13 schools in Wyndham’s high-growth areas. In comparison, there are 570 students enrolled per school on average across 760 government schools in Greater Melbourne.
The council has called on the state government to fund the land acquisition and construction of five primary schools, and construction of secondary schools for Truganina and Tarneit, as part of its 2019-20 state budget.
“Council has held regular meetings with a broad range of MPs on the issue of schools in Wyndham,” Cr Shaw said.
“We have also been meeting consistently with the department of education and training to help guide their delivery of future schools so that they are built in the areas that need them.
“We have been pleased with the Victorian government’s willingness to co-operate with us on this issue and we look forward to working more closely with them on the planning and designing of education infrastructure, as recommended by the Victorian Auditor General.”
The state government did not respond to Star Weekly’s questions about funding for schools in the 2019-20 budget.
