Mail - Ranges Trader mail - 23rd January 2018

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Ranges

5 Tuesday, 23 January, 2018

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Unstable science By Derek Schlennstedt

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for capital upgrades at Emerald Secondary College during their four long years in government.” “In fact they left us with a massive backlog of maintenance to get started on.” “In stark contrast we have already provided $1.5 million to deliver an Inclusive Centre, a reconfigured library, redevelopment of the canteen, expansion of performing arts facilities and the modernisation of technology facilities ... the school has also received an additional $500,000 for critical maintenance works.” As students prepare to return to school, Principal Jodie Doble is unsure how they will continue to deliver science programs in the deteriorating buildings.

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schools disrepair would be addressed if the Liberal Government was elected. “I am very, very, very sure that this school would be supported by a Guy-Liberal Government after 2018, should we win the election,” Mr Smith said. “I think this school requires substantial investment - apparently the school is advised 5 million dollars and that’s something we’re looking very seriously at.” James Merlino, Member for Monbulk responded to the comments b saying that the State Labor Government had inherited a “massive backlog of maintenance at schools around Victoria”. “The Liberal Party did not provide one cent

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Member for Gembrook, Brad Battin toured Emerald College commenting on the State Labor Governments inadequacy in delivering support for the school. “It’s a shame that this facility is so sub-par level ... the words that they’re just ‘hills students‘ is just not good enough anymore; we need to ensure they have a science and maths facility where they can exceed and excel,” Mr Battin said. The teachers are offering that to them, the principal has offered that to them, it’s now time for the government to offer that to them.” Shadow Minister for Education Tim Smith also visited the school with Mr Battin and though there was no promise to repair the buildings, Mr Smith remained adamant the

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Member for Gembrook Brad Battin, Emerald Secondary College Principal Jodie Doble and Shadow Minister for Education Tim Smith next to a storage area of dangerous chemicals which is getting water on it from a leaking roof.

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It’s hard to undertake science experiments when the science rooms are falling down around you; and that’s exactly what students and teachers at Emerald Secondary College have to work around. As their buildings fall into disrepair, Principal Jodie Doble and President of the Emerald Secondary College School Council, Philip Dwyer have called upon the State Government for funding to help repair the decrepit buildings. Despite the hindrances that the buildings pose, Ms Doble said students and teachers continue to achieve great results, but said the school has had to get creative in how it delivers its science programs. “The students and staff are achieving the results but the buildings are just falling down around us.” In a tour of the science rooms, Ms Doble pointed out to The Mail the severity of the disrepair. “We have leaking roofs, black mould, inadequate piping and gas supplies/electricity supplies and out-dated equipment. The building is actually shifting itself and we also have quite a serious plumbing issue under the school, which means that sometimes we have to close the building down.” “Currently one of our science rooms we can‘t use for any practical sciences because all the pipework has corroded and has had to be switched off.” In December 2018, Emerald Secondary College received a government grant of $500,000 from The State Labor Government, which both Ms Doble and Mr Dwyer described as a ‘BandAid fix’. According to figures the school received from architects the cost of repairing the buildings came instead to Five million dollars. “The school has been left to run into disrepair ... if this was any other job site it would be shut down instantly,” Mr Dwyer said. “We have been given some $500,000 that will be some Band-Aid work ... we really don’t think that, that actually will meet the needs,” Ms Doble said.


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