Coburg Provision Review handed to Minister Dixon

THERE IS NO HIDING FROM THE NUMBERS IN THE EDUCATION BLACK HOLE

A process looking at ways to manage the shortfall highlighted in the 2010 Spatial Vision Report  was announced in Jan 2011. Nothing happened. This was in part apparently due to DEECD re-structure. The 2010 Spatial Vision report was then deemed too old and a new process, The Coburg Provision Review was established in Oct 2011.

Along with DEECD brief, Minister Dixon was given:

• A "re-freshed' Spatial Vision Report. 
• Independent consultation with 23 schools. In Feb 2012, principals and school council presidents were asked about the provision issue in general and the HSC proposal to have junior provision at the Coburg Senior High site. 
• High School for Coburg (HSC) response to Spatial Vision report. At the end of the process, HSC were invited to write a response to the Spatial Vision Review 2012. (This was prepared at short notice by two mums in four days hence the typos).

We share our report with you here. The main points are:

• Much bigger numbers than the 2010 report. 
• Significant and immediate provisions shortfall, therefore HSC expects immediate provision planning. 
• The recommendation in the 2010 report was to manage the shortfall from 2016. The shortfall number for 2016 in the old report was already exceeded significantly in 2011 in the new report, so to be consistent the DEECD recommendation should be to manage the shortfall immediately. 
• Report states the pressure will be on the middle and southern schools. There are no open entry state secondary schools in the middle - Pascoe Vale, Coburg, Preston etc and southern schools are full

The minister was aware of the Spatial Vision report findings well before the budget so it is disappointing to see there has been no allocation for provision planning. However, budget allocation or not there is no hiding from the numbers. It is worth noting that the three previous consultant reports, including two Spatial Vision reports, and indeed the whole Coburg Provision Review, occurred without budget announcements. What is needed now is for Minister Dixon to make the decision to utilise the Coburg Senior High site as the most sensible option for managing the demonstrated shortfall in Year 7-9 provision.This will give our community some much needed certainty and enable the DEECD to begin implemantion planning as a continuation of the work already done.

The community, including the twelve schools who formally support HSC, are ready to be part of the solution.

HSC Response to 2012 Spatial Vision Report

NORTH or SOUTH OF THE RIVER?

Let's compare the outcomes.

Number of secondary aged persons at 2012 (id forecast) 

• COBURG suburb alone: 1,613 - High school closed 2004.......
• ALBERT PARK-MIDDLE PARK: 400 - School closed 2006 -already re-opened and full thus highlight the demand in inner suburbs for public education. (Port Phillip Council looking at the need for a second.)
• PRAHRAN: 372 - $200,000 in Budget to study sites (seemingly skipping the process to identify need, which the Coburg community has endured for years)

In other words Coburg has over four times the number of high school aged kids in Albert Park (and 40 times the growth) and Prahran.but still no sign of a high school.