By Esther Lauaki
Four new Melton schools – to be opened within the next four years – have been announced as an election pledge by the state government.
Education Minister James Merlino last week promised that Eynesbury Station and Rockbank North primary schools would
be opened by 2021, followed by Bridge Road and Grasslands primary schools the next
year, if Labor remains in government.
The four planned schools would be in addition to Burnside Primary School which is ready to open its gates in January and Springside West Secondary College which opened this year.
The government also announced that each of the five schools would be joined by a new kindergarten.
“Victoria is growing and we need to plan ahead to make sure that every child has access to a great local school,” Mr Merlino said.
Premier Daniel Andrews pledged last week that, if his government is re-elected, kindergartens would be built next to the five planned primary schools across the municipality to make school drop-offs easier for parents and to help keep siblings closer together.
“This makes sense,” Mr Andrews said. “We’ve already said we’ll make sure all Victorian kids get an extra year of kinder.
“And now we’re taking action so that the school drop-off is just that little bit easier for parents.”
Kororoit MP Marlene Kairouz stressed the importance of education and schools across the region.
“We are building new schools and upgrading many more because nothing is more important than our kids’ future,” Ms Kairouz said during a visit to Melton last week.
Across the state, 45 schools are scheduled to open within the next four years, while a planning fund for another 55 schools will be established.
