BendigoWeekly www.bendigoweekly.com.au
ISSUE 1004 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
The first day CAMP Hill Primary School teacher Melissa Gleisner told her class of prep students their alphabet sounds were so good, she thought they may have already gone to school. But yesterday was the very first day of their school journey, an exciting time for students such as Bendigo twins Otis and Molly Robertson.
ZONING OUT Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN
By SHARON KEMP
ZONING for junior secondary colleges in Bendigo could be enforced under the review of the Bendigo Education Plan after Australian Education Union members raised concerns with education minister James Merlino about equal distribution of resources. Mr Merlino has announced a review of the plan, which is more than a decade old and rebuilt the schooling of grades 7 to 10 students in Bendigo around four colleges serving distinct zones. The plan was for each college to
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School review to balance distribution educate between 800 to 1200 students, but the model has swung out of balance and in 2017 enrolments at Bendigo South East of more 1500 students is almost three times more than that at either Crusoe College, Eaglehawk Secondary College or Weeroona College. Students are zoned to a school but can enrol at any of the other three if they choose. “The Australian Education Union has formally expressed concern
directly to the minister because we are concerned about the erosion of the zoning philosophy that underpins the creation of the Bendigo Education Plan, and was the foundation of it,” AEU organiser Michael Claven said yesterday. “We want to make sure scarce education resources are distributed equitably.” Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan, who will be part of the review working group, confirmed zoning would
63 object to Nanga Gnulle change – Page 3
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be up for discussion in formulating the education plan for the next decade. She said the terms of reference for the review had yet to be decided, but the plan would also consider the best use of facilities built as a result of the 2005 plan. Ms Allan also confirmed there were ongoing concerns about student retention into grades 11 and 12, which is the key driver behind the initial plan.
“I know there has been concerns expressed particularly by the AEU about enrolment spread across the four junior secondary schools,” Ms Allan said. “That no doubt will come into the discussion about this work, but really there is an opportunity now the building works are all finished... (and) other issues have emerged such as the issues around alternate provision, and other ongoing challenges around retaining young kids in education, whether it is in school or training.”
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