THERE are concerns that upward of 500 students have been lost from public education in Shepparton. The My Schools website shows that in 2018, the four former public schools – Wanganui Park Secondary College, Mooroopna Secondary College, McGuire College, and Shepparton High School – had a total student enrolment of 2,645 students.
Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell, says that since the closure of these schools to create one single campus school, enrolment has steadily declined each year to a reported current enrollment of 2,135 students.
Concerned about the number of students who may have been lost to the education system altogether, Ms Lovell says she will raise the dramatic decline with Education Minister, James Merlino in State Parliament seeking an investigation into the issue.
“The loss of over 500 students from Greater Shepparton Secondary College since 2018 is extremely concerning and the Minister needs to investigate where these children have gone,” said Ms Lovell.
“It is clear the one school model does not suit all students and the community needs reassurance these young people have not been lost to the education system altogether.”
Ms Lovell said the decline in student numbers directly contradicts Mr Merlino’s Shepparton Education Plan document (ref: Shepparton Education Plan 2018 Stage One pg. 11) that predicted student numbers in government secondary schools would reach 3,117 by 2026.
She said the Government must investigate the loss of public school students in Greater Shepparton and the reasons for the decline should be publicly reported, saying that Greater Shepparton residents have a right to know where these students are and whether they have been lost to the education system altogether.
