ON a dreary, rainy morning behind the vacant Wanganui campus, state opposition leader, Matthew Guy announced on Thursday, September 15, that if elected in November, the Liberal National Coalition will make provision for a second, public secondary school for students in Greater Shepparton.
In steadfast support, shadow minister for education, David Hodgett, Liberal MP Wendy Lovell, Liberal candidate Cheryl Hammer and National candidate Kim O’Keeffe, also voiced the need for choice in public secondary schools in the region and for genuine community input into determining the type of school to be revamped on an existing, and currently unutilised, campus.
Stating that it was unacceptable that a regional city the size of Greater Shepparton should have only one public secondary school, Mr Guy said,
“Choice is very important in education. Every parent and every child deserve a choice, so schools can meet the different demands and look at different ways of positioning themselves for the benefit of not just parents, but particularly kids and their futures.”
In constant reiteration and to the applause of community advocacy group, Voice 4 Choice, Liberal National members stressed the role of the community in directing the development of the school as Mr Hodgett said,
“What we are announcing today is a genuine consultation process to determine the education needs of Greater Shepparton and then to very quickly move to address those needs.
It is not for a minister, politician or a government department to dictate what the education needs are in Greater Shepparton, or what the model should be.”
