Dear Editor,
I attended the first public meeting of the Shepparton Education Plan Advisory Committee (SEPAC) in 2017. It was made clear to many attending that the decision to amalgamate the four existing government secondary schools had been made. Feedback was not considered. The choice was, amalgamate or no money for the schools.
Last week at my Rotary meeting, I asked guest speaker, Exec. Principal Genevieve Simson about amalgamations in Victoria, backed with government data. She dismissed the quoted statistics, and didn’t answer my question.
The state government’s own data shows amalgamation of state schools results in loss of student numbers. For example, Wangaratta High School had a 52 percent drop in student numbers, Colac Secondary College dropped 48 percent, Dandenong High School dropped 20 percent (the model for the Shepparton school) and Victoria University Secondary College dropped 28 percent (Ms Simson’s previous school). Dandenong High School and Victoria University Secondary College are in growth areas so the numbers should have skyrocketed.
What evidence base has SEPAC used to decide amalgamation is best for Shepparton? What is the Department of Education going to do to stop the exodus of students and good teachers from state education in Shepparton – or is that the aim?
More than 1000 students have applied to attend Notre Dame in 2020, including 570 grade 6 students trying for 270 places. Only 4 of 34 grade 6 students from one local primary school have enrolled at the McGuire campus. Some families from St Mary’s Primary School, Mooroopna, who were intending to send their grade 6 students to Wanganui Park Secondary College are now enrolling in the Catholic system.
The anticipated student enrolment for the Greater Shepparton College, (interim name), is 2,700+ for 2020. What percentage of students will actually attend the new school, and how many will stay?
Yours sincerely,
Helen Sleep
Shepparton
