High School for Coburg: November 2010

Last minute state election round-up

At the OurSay event on 22/11/10, three of the candidates for Brunswick answered the following question from HSC:

“A recent demographic study has shown there is a definite need for a high school in Coburg. We need a real commitment and action, not more bureaucratic wrangling over this crucial issue. How will the candidates ensure that a high school is reinstated to Coburg and its broader community in as timely a fashion as possible? ”

Watch their responses below:

Comments on the answers and the debate in general can be found on the OurSay site and on the report in the Moreland Leader, Brunswick candidates on the issues that matter (24/11/10).

The high school for Coburg issues has been receiving plenty of media attention including in the Age,

All set for high school but closures leave no place to go, Northern Schools full by 2016,

Veteran Cleary fancies his chances of election upset, Labour threatened across inner city, the Moreland Leader Boost for new Coburg school, Shaky Coburg school pledge. There has also been discussion of the HSC issue in the comments section of another Moreland Leader article, Planning a key issue in Brunswick.

HSC co-founder, Cate Hall made the following comment;

Marita and Ben I think it is wrong to look at planning as a separate issue to the others you mentioned. What is missing is a whole of government response to some of these issues. Planning necessitates parallel infrastructure and service provision . A good example is open entry state secondary provision in Coburg - there is none. High School for Coburg are painfully aware of the lack of communication between the departments of planning ,community development and education even though it is all inter-related. The Coburg Initiative have assessed that a school is required as a PRIORITY at 2010 -even before all the new dwellings are built. The DEECD report highlighted a "provision shortfall " This needs to be planned for in conjunction with TCI and is for the benefit of the whole community -local education provision positively impacts not just on education but on on health, transport, environment, economy, community development and even by increased youth engagement -crime.

The following response from Adrian was a fantastic and unprompted acknowledgement of the work that Cate (and the rest of the group) has been doing;

Cate Hall is absolutely right and I would like to congratulate you Cate on the energy and dedication you have brought to your struggle for a high school. All these issues are inter-connected and we need as many people as possible to ignore the party lines we are constantly fed and stand up for our vibrant suburb. Grassroots democracy is democracy at its best and most powerful.

The Socialist Alliance have also released their education policy.

Socialist Alliance Releases Victorian Education Policy

How will you be voting tomorrow?

2010 state election candidate profiles

by Janet Grigg
When you vote on November 27, how important is the issue of a high school in Coburg for you? I am concerned about climate change, social justice, healthcare, public transport and planning but the education issue has become very personal for us. I wonder whether my daughter and her friends in prep will be able to go to a high school in their community. Or whether they will be scattered amongst the various schools in the region with a little room here and there. I worry that for many kids in Coburg, getting into a state school of their "choice" will depend on how hard their parents can push the system. I want my daughter and her friends and all the other children in Coburg to have the option to go to a local high school. The local high school where many of their classmates go because it's the closest school. And because it's a good school. And because the school's in our community, they'll be able to walk or bike there. Families will be involved too, because the local high school is an extension of the community we already have.

I have gone through websites, facebook pages and other online or readily available public material and collated information for candidates in the seats of Brunswick and Pascoe Vale that refers to the issue of a high school in Coburg. At the bottom of each post are links to where you can find out more about the candidates, their other policies and where relevant, the political party they belong to.

Read all the candidate profiles here.

HSC strongly encourage readers to enter into debate about the issue of a high school in Coburg either by making a comment in the comments section of each post or on our Facebook page. Any debate will be moderated and although we are willing to engage with dissenting views, any offensive content will be removed. We will not publish responses to these profiles from any candidate or party as separate web post unless they or their party issue an official press release referring to the provision of secondary education in or for Coburg. Responses via the comments or Facebook are most welcome.

Christine Campbell - MP and candidate for Pascoe Vale

Christine Campbell is the Australian Labour Party candidate and current member for Pascoe Vale.

As the local member for Pascoe Vale, Christine Campbell has worked with the High School for Coburg group since its inception in 2008. A press release dated 4 August 2009, states that she received “An investigation into the need for a 7-12 secondary school in Coburg” which presented a comprehensive investigation based on demographics and parental intentions. The parliamentary intern's report contended that there is such a need based on three main grounds; social, environmental and educational. Christine Campbell said that she had, "written to the Minister for Education asking that in the Expenditure Review Committee discussions, beginning in September and culminating with the May, 2010 budget, there be provision for a Year 7 intake in January 2011 at the current Coburg Senior High School site.”

On 30 November 2009, Christine Campbell issued another press release calling on Minister for Education, Bronwyn Pike, to establish a taskforce to examine all available information regarding the need for a year 7 entry high school in Coburg. She stated, “It’s time for a taskforce, led by an agreed independent person, to review the available demographic data, which is often disputed, and also to examine parent intentions including past practice of moving into zones such as Brunswick, Strathmore or others to access a 7 to 12 high school which meets their needs. The taskforce should include representatives from the High School for Coburg group, local Coburg primary school councils, Moreland Council, me as state member; and departmental representatives from both northern and western regions.”

In April 2010, the taskforce, or more officially, Review of Education needs in Coburg was announced. This was attended by Christine Campbell, Moreland City Council, DEECD representatives, Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike's advisor, Jane Garrett, Kelvin Thomson's representative and members of the High School for Coburg group.

On 20 November 2010 at the HSC candidates conference, Christine Campbell announced that the report into local secondary education needs had acknowledged there will be a shortfall of places for Years 7 to 9 over the coming years and that “The Premier has recognised that we have increasing demand for government schools in the Coburg area. He also said he is conscious of the need to provide more options and more places for Coburg students.” She also said that “Now that the evidence has been acknowledged, the next important step is to consider what is best for the students. To this end, tonight I can announce a taskforce will be established to investigate how to implement the best educational outcome for the children of Coburg and surrounding areas.”

This letter from Minister Pike to ALP candidate for Brunswick, Jane Garrett sums up the current situation. "the Coburg Education Implementation Taskforce, which is being established to examine the best way to provide more schooling opportunities for secondary school students in Coburg. The taskforce will examine all options to meet Coburg's education needs, such as building a new school, providing new classrooms in existing schools and using existing facilities in more efficient ways."

Read more about the Victorian ALP and Christine Campbell:

Victorian Labour http://www.alpvictoria.com.au/
Profile on Victorian Labourhttp://www.alpvictoria.com.au/alp-victoria-people/electorate-search/christine-campbell/
Christine Campbell's website http://www.christinecampbell.com.au/
Adress 16A Bell Street, Pascoe Vale (entrance via Turner Street)
Phone 9354 9935
Fax 9354 3599
Email christine.campbell@parliament.vic.gov.au

* * *

HSC encourage readers to enter into debate about the issue of a high school in Coburg either by making a comment in the comments section of each post or on our Facebook page. Any debate will be moderated and although we are willing to engage with dissenting views, any offensive content will be removed. We will not publish responses to these profiles from any candidate or party as separate web post unless they or their party issue an official press release referring to the provision of secondary education in or for Coburg. Responses via the comments or Facebook are most welcome.

Cyndi Dawes - Greens candidate for Brunswick

Cyndi Dawes is The Greens candidate for the seat of Brunswick - from Brunswick for Brunswick.

Cyndi Dawes wrote HSC a letter of support in June 2010 stating, "As a candidate for Brunswick, I am happy to put on record my support for a High School for Coburg. The area has not been well served by state secondary education over the last 10 years and I believe it is imperative that students and their families in Coburg and neighbouring suburbs have access to a quality, general entry local high school." Following the HSC candidates conference, Cyndi Dawes also signed a pledge committing to the re-instatement of a general entry high school in Coburg which you can see here . In her media release of 05 October 2010 she states "There is a real and pressing need for a school in Coburg. The community has been saying this for some time, but it feels as if no one’s been listening. It’s time to make sure the community’s voice is heard.”

Listen to Cyndi Dawes talk about education in Coburg below.

To find our more about Cyndi Dawes and the Greens, see below

Victorian Greens http://vic.greens.org.au/
Website http://vic.greens.org.au/brunswick
Blog http://vic.greens.org.au/blog/user/389
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CyndiDawesforBrunswick
Twitter http://twitter.com/cyndidawes
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/cyndidawes
Email cyndi.dawes@vic.greens.org.au

* * *

Jane Garrett - Australian Labour Party candidate for Brunswick

Jane Garrett is the Australian Labour Party candidate for the seat of Brunswick - Equality, social justice and tackling climate change. Make it happen.

Jane Garrett's state election website states "she wants quality education for all" and that "Labor has always believed every child deserves a quality education no matter where they live. That’s why the Brumby Labor government is rebuilding, renovating or extending government schools across Victoria." The ALP 2010 Education Policy can be read or downloaded here.

In a photo album on Jane Garrett's Facebook page, under a photo of an advertisment that was published in the Moreland Leader is the following statement, "Labour believes that every child deserves a world class education. That's why we will make a multi million dollar investment to improve and expand Brunswick Secondary College. And why we have set up an implementation taskforce to develop a solution for Coburg's secondary education needs." On 20 October 2010, John Brumby and Jane Garret pledged to redevelop Brunswick Secondary College.

HSC have also been sent a copy of this letter from Minister Pike to Jane Garrett which refers to the Coburg Education Implementaion taskforce.

Find out more about Jane Garrett and the Victorian ALP below:

ALP Victoria http://alpvictoria.com.au/home/
Website http://www.janegarrett.org.au/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/janegarrett2010
Twitter http://twitter.com/Jane_Garrett/
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/janegarrettalp
Email jane@janegarrett.org.au

Phone 9380 9640

Location 175 Sydney Rd Brunswick, Australia, 3056

* * *

Phil Cleary - Independent candidate for Brunswick

Phil Cleary is standing as an Independent candidate for Brunswick - An independent community - An independent voice.

Phil Cleary signed a pledge committing to the re-instatement of a general entry high school in Coburg which you can see here. He also wrote a letter of support for the High School for Coburg campaign back in August which you can read below.

Phil Cleary - Letter of Support

Phil's election website contains many youtube clips of him talking with local residents about the issues that concern them. Below he is talking with Morena Milani, co-founder of HSC at our recent music afternoon at the Post Office Hotel.

You can find out more about Phil Cleary for Brunswick below:

Main website http://www.philcleary.com.au/

2010 state election website http://philclearyforbrunswick.tumblr.com/

Twitter http://twitter.com/PhilCleary_Ind

Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/PhilClearyMP

Email philcleary@bigpond.com

* * *

Liam Farelly - Greens candidate for Pascoe Vale

Liam Farelly is the Greens candidate for Pascoe Vale.

Liam Farelly's state election webpage states that he "will advocate for a major increase in the investment in public infrastructure in the north western suburbs including: ... Free, local and first class quality kinder to tertiary education facilities." There is also an election phamplet which mentions a high school in Coburg.

In the youtube clip below Liam Farrelly stands on the potential site of a high school in Coburg.

You can find out more about Liam Farelly and the Greens below

Victorian Greens website http://vic.greens.org.au/

Liam Farelly's 2010 state election webpage http://vic.greens.org.au/pascoevale

Youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/LiamFarrellyGreens

Liam Farelly on Facebook

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Trent Hawkins - Socialist Alliance Candidate for Brunswick

Trent Hawkins is the Socialist Alliance Candidate for Brunswick - People & Planet Before Profit

Trent Hawkins attended the HSC candidates conference and as reported in Green Left Weekly stated "that there was no need for further investigation and more taskforces." He said HSC had established the facts, we “now need to just build [the school]”. Hawkins linked the situation to the legacy of privatisation and the failure to provide public facilities. He said the $570 million of taxpayers’ money the government had earmarked for the controversial desalination plant would be better spent on community facilities such as a high school in Coburg.

You can read more about Trent Hawkins here at http://www.socialist-alliance.org/

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Liberal candidates for Pascoe Vale and Brunswick

Claude Tomisich is the Liberal candidate for Pascoe Vale and Kyle Dadleh is the Liberal Candidate for Brunswick.

You can see the background for Claude Tomisich here and for Kyle Dadleh here. Neither have mentioned the issue of secondary education provision in Coburg.

The shadow minister for education, Martin Dixon spoke at the HSC candidates conference. He stated that he supports the building of a high school in Coburg. He wrote the following letter of support to HSC on 03 June 2010

Martin Dixon - Letter of Support 03/06/10

Read more about Liberal policies at http://www.liberalvictoria.org.au/guest/Default.aspx
Contact Claude Tomisich
Email claude.tomisich@vic.liberal.org.au
Phone 0400 579 688
Mail PO Box 108, Pascoe Vale South,VIC 3044

Contact Kyle Dadleh

Email kyle.dadleh@vic.liberal.org.au
Mail 104 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

* * *

Bill Cawte - Independent Candidate for Brunswick

Bill Cawte is standing as an independent single-issue candidate for Brunswick - "Better Bike Paths Now!"

He has stated his support for High School for Coburg on his website

I would like to offer my wholehearted support to the High School For Coburg Campaign. Moreover, I can do so without in any way compromising my own status as a single-issue active transport candidate. Every time schools are amalgamated new motor traffic is generated, as more students fall outside a 'radius of viability' for walking or cycling to school. This is never taken into account by education bureaucrats, who are primarily answerable only to their budget and not to the broader concerns of local communities.

I was working at Brunswick Secondary College during the time that Moreland City College suffered its long and painful death by a thousand rumours, and our school struggled to accommodate a large cohort of significantly demoralised and undermined kids when Moreland finally closed.

The deeper one delves into the complex problems that beset modern Australian society, the more one is brought back to the conclusion, that perhaps there is, after all, only one issue, and that by pushing active transport further up the hierarchy of considerations we arrive at better solutions in a broad range of areas, of which physical health and well-being is merely the most obvious.

* * *

Joke's on us, John

This letter was paublished in today's Age

IN THE article ''John and Ted's school days'' (The Sunday Age, 21/11) about Ted Baillieu and John Brumby's shared experience of Melbourne Grammar, Brumby says that the long haul to and from Ivanhoe each day - he was one of only about half a dozen kids ''from that side of the river'' - meant the school was missing a sense of family and community'' for him.

But he has forced many families to endure a similar absence of family and community by abandoning public secondary schools (''All set for high school but closures leave no place to go'', (The Age, 20/11).

The communities in and around Oakleigh and Coburg have no public high school - a callous and absurd joke that must be rectified.

Andy Stewart, Coburg

Letter on Coburg Education Taskforce from Minister Pike to Jane Garrett

Below is a letter dated 17 November 2010 from Minister for Education, Bronywn Pike to the ALP candidate for Brunswick, Jane Garrett.

Letter on Coburg Education Taskforce From Minister Pike to Jane Garrett

Overlooked in education pledges

This letter appeared in The Age today.

FOLLOWING education pledges by the state government, Coburg - the north's secondary education black hole - is now ringed by regeneration. The Coburg Initiative - Australia's largest urban renewal project - is set to bring more than 8000 people to the area in two decades. Yet a state secondary school is already a requirement, according to a new draft framework.

That a recent Education Department report identified a significant secondary provision shortfall in the north came as no surprise to Coburgians - 53 per cent of whom are considering moving away because of the issue, according to a survey by High School for Coburg.

Although this area generates up to 10 times more state secondary students than surrounding school catchments, it doesn't have a high school.

An indication of local support is the almost $20,000 that business and community have pledged to the HSC civic fund launched this month. Pledges to the potential school would be matched by the government, through its Business Working with Education Foundation.

This government must pledge to re-establish open-entry state secondary provision during the next term.

Catherine Hall, Coburg North

Rock N Roll High School

Well I don't care about history

we want a Coburg High School

'Cause that's not where I wanna be

we want a Coburg High School

they must think that we’re all hicks

living out here in the sticks

we wanna we wanna Coburg High School

well we’re all thinkin’ ‘bout movin’ out you know

we want Coburg High School

the kids are here but about to go

we want a Coburg High school

the people are here and it’s a principle:

you can’t have community without a school

we want we want Coburg High School

We want a Coburg High School

( lyrics by Joey, Dee Dee and Benny Ramone)

Big thanks to the Post Office Hotel for hosting an awesome afternoon of music and chat. Not to mention total kid mayhem. And for donating $3 from each roast to the HSC civic fund. Thanks also to Courtney Barnett, Boxty and the Short Order Schefs. You guys all rocked. And thanks also to Joey, Dee Dee and Benny, very special indeed. Thank you to the state election candidates who attended, Liam Farrelly Greens candidate for Pascoe Vale, Christine Campbell MP for Pascoe Vale and Phil Cleary, Independent candidate for Brunswick. And thanks also to Moreland councillors, Cr Enver Erdogan and Cr Lambros Tapinos.

And most of all, thank you to everyone who came and made it such a great afternoon!

The evidence is in - we need a high school in Coburg

Our community needs a local high school:

The DEECD report shows a shortfall in secondary provision. Unfortunately this report is still not available electronically for us to link to, but our summary can be seen here.
The HSC response to the DEECD report can be read or downloaded here.
Coburg Initiative Economic Development Strategy states that in 2010 "one state secondary school required as a priority ".
The Coburg Initiative Economic Development Strategy (p17) clearly states the importance of a school for the economic development of Coburg.
The need for a high school in Coburg was one of the core issues identified by Coburg Initiative community consultation.

Our community supports a local high school:

The 2010 Moreland Council Community Indicators survey shows extremely low levels of satisfaction with state secondary provision in Coburg and Coburg North.
HSC have received 20 letters of support so far. Six are from school councils and one is from a child care centre. Others are from community groups and individuals.
The HSC Civic Fund was set up less than a month ago and so far has received pledges from business, community groups and individuals totalling $18,000. When the school goes ahead, we hope these pledges will be matched by Victorian Government funding under the new Business Working with Education Foundation which will allow, for the first time, tax free donations to government schools.

banner in Victoria Mall, hung by unknown villager

So, where are we at now?

HSC made the following recommendations in response to the DEECD report:

HSC Recommendations:

That an implementation task force be set up in Feb 2011 to plan for the establishment of, at minimum a year 7 intake at CSHS in 2012. That the Minister for Education commences initial discussions and task force make up immediately after swearing in.
That the Victorian Government and DEECD build on the really good work being done at the Coburg Senior High School (CSHS) by making financial provision for the establishment of, at minimum, a year 7 intake in 2012 at the CSHS with the aim of having full open access secondary provision in 2014, thereby creating more education opportunity for the greater Coburg community and thus enabling the Family-School-Community partnership.
As well as opening the CSHS to junior year levels, the DEECD with co-operation from all levels of government plus families, Moreland Council and community, work on establishing the Coburg High School (CHS) as a Community Hub. By opening up the excellent facilities to the broader community, increasing the schools identity and involvement in the local community, especially in conjunction with the Coburg Initiative, CHS could take its place as a valuable and integral community asset.
That the DEECD facilitate, with support of families and community, the establishment of a cluster of local primary schools which can work together sharing knowledge and facilities and can establish a relationship with, and pathway to, a Coburg High School thus further enabling the Blueprint mission - “a high quality and coherent birth-to-adulthood learning and development system.”

On 28 October, 2010, Kelvin Thomson, MP for Wills read out the first two HSC recommendations in his parliamentary speech on the HSC issue.

So far it looks like we will see the first half of the first recommendation come to fruition. On 21 October 2010 at the HSC candidates conference, Christine Campbell, Member for Parliament for Pascoe Vale announced at a report into local secondary education needs had acknowledged there will be a shortfall of places for Years 7 to 9 over the coming years. She said “We are grateful for the work that the group and the Department of Education have done in putting together this report. Now that the evidence has been acknowledged, the next important step is to consider what is best for the students. To this end, tonight I can announce a taskforce will be established to investigate how to implement the best educational outcome for the children of Coburg and surrounding areas.”

* * * * *

HSC are still seeking a firm commitment from the government to the actual establishment of an open entry high school in Coburg during the next term of government.

Letter of support from Brunswick East Primary School

Below is a letter of support from Brunswick East Primary School Council. It indicates how the lack of a general entry high school in Coburg is likely to affect children and families from across the whole Moreland area - not just around Coburg, Preston West and Pascoe Vale.
Brunswick East Primary School Letter of Support High School for Coburg

Education choices sacrificed for power

This letter appeared in The Age today.

THE ALP's announcement that it will provide even more funds to private schools (''Private schools get $200 million pledge'', The Age, 10/11) reveals it to be made up of the lowest-rent form of power-hungry professional politicians, without a shred of vision other than maintaining their own positions of power.

For two years, residents have demonstrated the obvious need for a general-entry high school in Coburg. It is a touchstone issue in the seat of Pascoe Vale and will also play out in Brunswick, where the Greens and Phil Cleary are committed to working towards its establishment. But from the government we get nothing other than weasel words and postures because we live in a safe ALP seat.

The real-politik world of the professional politician renders the choices for my children fewer than for others, simply because of where I live.

The ALP does not represent a more equal society, it represents crass individuals bereft of compassion. The political world has changed in Canberra. It must change in Spring Street in two weeks.

Peter Robertson, Coburg

Rock & Roll High School

On Sunday 14th of Novemember, HSC presents Rock & Roll High School - a benefit to support the re-instatement of a general entry high school in Coburg. It starts at 2.30pm at the Post Office Hotel (visit on Facebook here) and entry is by gold coin donation.

It promises to be a great afternoon of music and good times. Feel free to download the flyer and hope to see you there!
High School for Coburg Rock & Roll Afternoon at the Post Office Hotel Flyer

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