Glenroy College
Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021:
My constituency question is for the Minister for Education and relates to Glenroy College.
Glenroy College has faced declining enrolments since 2014, with current enrolments lower than the state average. This directly impacts school funding and the curriculum, with the school currently unable to deliver the full suite of subjects provided at most other secondary schools.
My constituent is a concerned local resident who believes that these declining enrolments are a direct product of substandard facilities at the school.
In the 2019–20 budget there was $9.2 million to replace dilapidated facilities at Glenroy College. But one might rightly ask whether replacing dilapidated facilities should really be considered a building upgrade or just maintenance money required to bring that section of the campus up to the minimum acceptable standard.
So my constituent asks: can the minister detail what they are planning for Glenroy College?
Fiona Patten MP
Leader of Reason
Member for Northern Metropolitan Region
Constituency question asked 21/6/22
Answer:
I thank the Member for Northern Metropolitan Region for her question.
The Andrews Labor Government is committed to growing educational opportunities for all Victorians. We have invested $12.8 billion over the past 8 years to build new schools and modernise existing educational facilities across Victoria. Our ongoing challenge, however, is to responsibly balance and prioritise the needs of over 1,570 government schools, all in varying condition.
As you mentioned, Glenroy Secondary College was the worthy recipient of $9.215 million in the 2019–20 State Budget to transform old classrooms and facilities with a major upgrade. Close to half of the college’s built environment was replaced with new, permanent modular buildings. This project, which was completed in 2021, delivered new Senior and Junior Years Learning Centres, a state-of-the-art library, an administration area, and a staff hub. Since the completion of these works, students have gained more subject choices, new opportunities and additional support to reach their full potential from the greater diversity of indoor and outdoor learning environments.
In terms of the short-term infrastructure plans for the college, the next steps are to complete its Inclusive Schools Fund (ISF) project. As you are aware, the college was allocated $200,000 under the sixth round of the ISF to build an outdoor inclusive learning space, including shade sails, synthetic turf and seating. This project is currently in the design stage, with its completion estimated for the fourth quarter of 2022.
In terms of future plans, the next stage of the college’s masterplan, which is subject to funding in a future State Budget, includes a new extension to the Junior Years Learning Centre, the refurbishment and extension to the Science Building to create a dedicated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) facility and Middle Years Learning Centre, refurbishment to Block D, 2 new relocatable GPC buildings, a new Maintenance Building/Shed to provide maintenance and technology preparation space, and outdoor facilities including a new oval and 3 new hardcourts.
Ensuring school premises are well-maintained is a shared responsibility between schools and the Department of Education and Training. The school council has general oversight of college buildings to ensure that they are in good order and condition, and the college principal is responsible for asset management, which includes overseeing, planning, and managing the maintenance of college facilities using funds allocated annually through the college’s Student Resource Package (SRP).
Introduced in 2018, the department’s Rolling Facilities Evaluation program (RFE) is auditing the condition of every Victorian school over a 5-year period. The college’s RFE condition assessment was undertaken in July 2018.
The college has subsequently developed a 5-year School Maintenance Plan (SMP) that incorporates the findings from its RFE condition assessment. The SMP has now enabled the college to build a routine maintenance program to manage asset risks unique to its facilities.
The college was allocated $5,000 under the 2018–19 Planned Maintenance Program (PMP) to address high-priority defects identified in its RFE condition assessment, specifically electrical works. These works were completed in May 2019. The college was also allocated $5,000 in the 2018–19 PMP and $10,000 in the 2019–20 PMP to address specialist assessment outcomes, including roofing works. These were completed in May 2019.
The college was further allocated $380,000 to undertake backlog maintenance under the 2016–17 PMP. These works included hardcourt refurbishment, investigation and rectification of site drainage, electrical switchboard replacement, emergency and exit lighting, refurbishment work to toilet areas, installation of a new disabled toilet, and localised roof maintenance and repairs. These works were completed in 2018. In addition, the college was allocated $143,097 for essential maintenance works as part of a $515 million Maintenance Blitz Package announced in September 2019.
I can assure you that the needs of all schools, including Glenroy Secondary College, will continue to be considered when determining future priorities for the capital works program. We will continue to use all available data when allocating funding in future State Budgets. In the meantime, the college is advised to address maintenance issues as they arise, using funds allocated annually through its SRP.
I trust this information is of assistance.
The Hon. Natalie Hutchins MP
Minister for Education