Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My adjournment manner is to the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is that the minister provide much-needed funding for schools in my community. Minister, I do not need to tell you exactly how amazing the students, staff and teachers are across the Northcote electorate. At Thornbury High students are learning in classrooms built in the postwar boom that are now getting very old and tired. Still, under the leadership of principal Michael Keenan, they have achieved the remarkable feat of being recognised as a winner in the Age Schools that Excel awards. We have delivered a brand new gym and performing arts centre for Thornbury, and recently the students and I created a video to tell you how much a new STEAM centre would mean to them. Thank you for watching it. And, Minister, I do not need to tell you about the wonderful school tucked away in the north-west of my electorate, Bell Primary, which has grown so much in size and has just kept making the best of it. Earlier in the year I got to see their brand new classrooms as part of our initial upgrade. Now it is time for the next step, and I think you already know how much a new gym hall would mean, especially so that the school can come together in one space.
At Northcote High the school population has grown and grown and grown. Principal Sue Harrap and I have spoken at length about the potential for the school to be redesigned and upgraded to make better use of their spaces and improve some of their beautiful old buildings. Further south, I have spoken to you about the modernisation needed at Westgarth Primary. Westgarth have been doing a whole lot on their own, but more recently they have come to me with plans for upgrading their school to improve their learning spaces and build modern facilities. Tucked behind St Georges Road is Croxton special school. They have achieved so much over the last few years, with a new building and new inclusive play space. Principal Bev Fegan and I are keen to see the momentum continue to complete their upgrades.
Minister, I might sound like a bit of a pest, but I do not mind. You know that I will keep working to deliver better schools for my community and that I will keep working with your office and your department to make sure that all of our schools get the support that they need. Like you, Minister, I am not interested in playing political football with our schools. I am driven by a singular purpose, and that is to deliver the upgrades that every school deserves so that we can give more opportunities to our young people. The coming budget provides an opportunity to deliver better schools. I know that the government cannot fund every one of them, but I am asking for you to do what you can for my community. To those schools that might not receive funding this month, I promise we will keep pushing.
In the short time I have got left, today is the first day of exams for our VCE students. To all of the VCE students in my community, it has not been the year that you thought it would be, but you have made it. You have done such an amazing job and we are all so proud of you. Go well, and good luck.
