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