Some of Melton’s most vulnerable young people could find themselves without an education, with their school facing an uncertain future.
The Community and Learning Melton school (CaLM school), which is home to 45 secondary school-aged students seeking an alternative learning system, could close its doors at the end of the year.
The school is crammed into two rooms at Victoria University’s Melton campus but, with the university due to close, the CaLM school will need a new home.
CaLM co-ordinator Susan Gill said the school now had nowhere to go.
“We’re trying to find a space, but the problem is there are no public spaces here,” Ms Gill said.
“We need a big injection of funds, really, for a suitable venue.
“A lot of these kids probably wouldn’t be in school if we weren’t here.”
The school takes in students who don’t fit into mainstream education and who are otherwise likely to drop out.
“There’s a real need for the program,” Ms Gill said. “We could expand rather than not be here at all. We’ve got a number of kids here who wouldn’t be in school if they weren’t with us.”
Ms Gill said the program was important for the community in many ways and its closure would be a great loss.
CaLM school runs a program developed and funded by the network of secondary colleges, including Melton Secondary College.
“We have small classes. We know our kids individually; they are on individual working plans and we also work very closely with their families,” Ms Gill said.
“They have a sense of connectedness here and a sense of belonging.”
Melton Secondary College principal David Reynolds said the network schools were exploring alternative sites.
“We have no clear answer as yet,” Mr Reynolds said, adding that the closure of the program was “absolutely not” the option the schools wanted to take.
“The preferred option is that the school will remain open and have access to permanent and suitable facilities to run this program,” Mr Reynolds said.
“It’s vital that the school stays open and continues to provide the program it does.”
Melton council’s economic development and advocacy manager, Michael Tudball, said the council was working closely with all parties involved to advocate for the CaLM school to remain at its present site.
He said other potential sites were also being explored.
“The CaLM school is an extremely valuable program and we want to see it remain as an option available to young people in our community into the future,” Mr Tudball said.
