Victorian Coalition pledges three new selective-entry schools
The Victorian Coalition has pledged to build three new selective-entry high schools in Melbourne’s outer suburbs by 2030 if it wins the state election on 28 November.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson announced the policy on Sunday, saying the new schools would expand access to selective education for high-performing students. The Coalition has also pledged to convert six existing government schools into fully or partially selective schools.
The three new schools would be located in three areas of Melbourne. In the west, the proposed site would be in Melton, Caroline Springs or Sydenham. In the north, the Coalition has identified Craigieburn or Roxburgh Park, while Langwarrin or Cranbourne South are being considered in the south-east.
The Coalition said the new schools would be built in areas of high and currently unmet demand, with the aim of opening them before 2030. The six existing schools to be converted have not yet been identified. Victoria currently has four fully selective government secondary schools: Melbourne High School, Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School. John Monash Science School in Clayton has its own entrance examination and separate admission criteria.
Wilson said: “Thousands of students sit the select-entry school exam every year and too many of them are missing out because there are not enough places.”
Shadow Education Minister Brad Rowswell said: “Selection to these schools must be accessible and not based on postcode.”He said the proposed entry system would provide a “level playing field” and give more students the opportunity to attend selective schools.The Coalition said the policy would likely double the number of selective places available to high-performing students.
The Coalition has compared Victoria’s selective school system with New South Wales. The NSW Department of Education currently lists 17 fully selective high schools and four fully selective agricultural high schools, as well as 27 partially selective high schools.The Victorian Government was contacted for comment. The proposal comes ahead of the Victorian state election on 28 November. The Coalition has not yet identified the six existing schools that would be converted or provided detailed costs for the full program.
Source: ABC News – Government of VIC/NSW Government
