Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My adjournment is to the Minister for Education, and I ask that the minister join me for a visit to one of my wonderful local schools, Thornbury Primary. Thornbury Primary is a diverse and unique school in the inner north. Indigenous perspectives, history, culture and Koori language learning are infused throughout the curriculum and school ethos in a way that sets them apart as leaders within the education system. Their trailblazing work has been recognised at the Victorian Education Excellence Awards, receiving an Outstanding Koorie Education Award in 2019. Thornbury Primary is also unique in having a specialised Steiner stream, one of only a handful of public schools which cater to students who benefit from a slightly different way of learning and growing with a focus on self-direction and creativity. As a satellite campus for the Croxton special school, the school is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity. All this is to say that they are an incredible school who have put diversity and inclusion at the heart of their school ethos in a way that is deeply valued in the local community.
But with hundred-year-old buildings and a small inner-city footprint, Thornbury Primary are also facing some very real challenges. These include ageing and inaccessible buildings as well as a lack of flexible breakout spaces to support modern ways of learning and no indoor space large enough to house a whole-of-school assembly. Over the past four years I have worked closely with Thornbury Primary to secure funding and improvements which will deliver real benefits to students. This includes supporting the school to access $200 000 from the Inclusive Schools Fund to transform their old and outdated playground into an all-abilities outdoor play space that every student will be able to enjoy. Earlier this year I was also thrilled to share with the school that the Andrews Labor government will provide over $400 000 to completely renovate their main bathroom block. I had been deeply moved by conversations with parents and students who are impacted by the toilets’ inaccessible and unwelcoming facilities, and I knew I wanted to get this fixed. Soon we will see works get underway to deliver the modern, accessible and inclusive bathrooms they need and deserve.
These projects are all important steps to ensuring Thornbury Primary students have facilities that match the fantastic teaching and community that already exist at the school, but there is still work to do. Together with the school community we have developed a positive vision to take the school to the next level, and I would love to bring the minister out to talk about it and see for herself just how much we can achieve together. I have been honoured to work with my local schools to achieve substantial upgrades across the electorate. These upgrades are making a real difference for local kids in my community, and I am proud to be part of a Labor government that delivers on education, that values our public schools, that invests in the next generation, that backs our teachers and staff and that brings real uplift into our suburbs and communities. I look forward to welcoming the minister.
