School shortage hit

By Paul Dunlop
STUDENTS began classes this week amid claims Pakenham suffers a chronic school shortage.
The start of the new school year saw Cardinia Shire councillors join angry parents in criticising the State Government over what they said was a dire need for increased education facilities in the fastgrowing area.
Central Ward councillors Brett Owen and Kate Lempriere both labelled the situation a disgrace.
Questioned by residents over what they planned to do about it, councillors pledged to make the push for new schools a priority in the leadup to the November state election.
Anger over education facilities has simmered for several years with schools around Pakenham, Beaconsfield and Officer all feeling the effects of the huge rises in enrolments.
There has not been a new statefunded school open in the area for 10 years, despite the population more than doubling in that time.
Cr Owen said it was the time the State Government came up with the goods.
“We need to put it to them to say ‘it’s your job to build these schools’,” he said.
Cr Lempriere said it was time to make a “big hue and cry”.
She encouraged residents to lobby local MPs.
“It is an absolute disgrace,” Cr Lempriere said.
“We need to have people power behind us.”
Councillors’ comments came after Pakenham woman Patricia Harris raised the issue during question time at Cardinia Shire Council’s meeting on Monday, 23 January.
Mrs Harris questioned why more and more land was being used for housing and industrial development when there were not sufficient education services to meet the growth.
Mrs Harris said Cardinia Shire should set an example in solving what was a “very serious” problem in the community.
She suggested the council could build new schools itself while petitioning for extra government funding.
Cr Owen said it was not the council’s role to get involved in building schools.
He said a number of potential sites had already been set aside for educational facilities on new residential estates such as Heritage Springs, Lakeside and Cardinia Lakes at Pakenham.
Cr Owen said it was up to council and the community to make its message loud and clear.
“The Government needs to acknowledge this is a growing area. We definitely need new schools,” he said.
Council community wellbeing manager Fiona Hodges said shire officers had been working closely with the Department of Education and Training in planning new schools for the area.
Ms Hodges said as many as 14 new schools could be in the pipeline, including new secondary schools in Pakenham, Beaconsfield and Officer.
She said department officials had been very cooperative and hoped there would be good news this year.
Cardinia mayor Bill Ronald said councillors and shire staff did everything they could to facilitate new schools in and around the main growth region.
Cardinia Shire had been very proactive in this area, he said.
Cr Ronald said Christian schools were leading the way in expanding educational facilities.
The new Lutheran college at Lakeside opens today (Wednesday) and is the latest of several private schools to come to the area over the past decade.