While speaking in Parliament Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland brought attention to local education challenges, including a lack of public secondary schools and ongoing funding disputes over school crossing supervisors.
Ms Cleeland said towns like Kilmore and Heathcote were left at a significant disadvantage due to the lack of local secondary schools.
“Kilmore is the largest town in Victoria without a public second school, located in one of the biggest growth corridors in the state,” she said.
“Down the road in Broadford and Wallan the schools are already at or very nearing capacity, and students as young as 12 years old are having to make a two-hour commute to and from school each day.
“The need for a school in Kilmore has been repeatedly brought to this government’s attention, yet it has been ignored every time.”
Ms Cleeland said the only secondary school option currently in Kilmore is Assumption College, a private school with fees starting from nearly $9000 a year.
A petition for a public secondary school in Kilmore has reached nearly 3500 signatures.
“Unfortunately, Kilmore is not the only part of my electorate desperately campaigning for a public school,” Ms Cleeland said.
“There is currently another community led petition calling for a public secondary school in Heathcote, a town with a population large enough to warrant a secondary school.”
Ms Cleeland also addressed the closure of the local primary school in Tooborac, electorate-wide issues relating to students being unable to access free school bus routes, road safety issues at Colbinabbin Primary School, and concerns over school crossing supervisors in both the Strathbogie Shire and Heathcote.
“Funding debates continue between our local councils and the state government over who will adequately fund the school crossing supervisor program, leaving our children incredibly vulnerable in the meantime,” Ms Cleeland said.
“This is a matter of utmost importance to our local community that is genuinely putting children’s lives on the line.
“Conversations I have had with community members have made it clear that this is something worth fighting for, and I stand with them.
“We will not stop fighting until our children are safe.”
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