School merger fury
18th February 2010
http://heidelberg-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/school-merger-fury/
School merger fury
16/2/10 Karen Poh
CONCERNED parents will rally tonight at a public meeting to discuss plans to close several primary and secondary schools in Banyule.
Save Our Schools Forum co-ordinator Jo Grainger said there had been inadequate consultation with families and communities directly affected by the Brumby Government's decision to merge Banksia-La Trobe Secondary College, Bellfield and Haig St primary schools and the senior section of the Olympic Village Primary School.
As part of the Heidelberg Regeneration Project, the schools would be merged into the one mega-school complex, catering for up to 1800 students, on the former La Trobe Secondary College site in Waiora Rd, Macleod.
Ms Grainger said the forum would give parents a chance to put their views to the State Government and opposition parties in the lead-up to this year's state election. She said the issue went further than the mere building of a new school. "It is about how families will have to change their lives," Ms Grainger said.
Opposition education spokesman Martin Dixon said he would be raising his concerns over the question of state and federal funding for the multi-million-dollar project.
He said only funding for the $20 million stage one project had been committed so far. He was also aware of parents' concerns over transport and the lack of consultation.
"A lot of the families going to the school won't have cars, so transport to and from school would be an issue," Mr Dixon said.
State Government spokesman Chris Owner said the schools were officially merged on January 1, but were operating as campuses of Charles La Trobe College on their 2009 sites until stage one of the new school was completed next year.
"The Banksia-La Trobe, Bellfield and Haig Street sites will then close and all students will transfer to the La Trobe site, except for the prep to grade 4 students on the Olympic Village site and any prep to grade 4 students from the other two primary school sites who choose to transfer to the Olympic Village site," Mr Owner said.
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