For Immediate Release

May 2010

Budget letdown for Coburg again

No provision for an open entry secondary school for Coburg and surrounding
communities in the State Budget comes as no surprise to Cate Hall, co founder of
the community action group High School for Coburg.

“It’s disappointing of course,” said Hall, “but we aren’t going away. This issue is
just too important for local families and children to let it rest now.”

HSC submitted a detailed Victorian budget submission calling for a Year 7 intake
in 2012 and the local Member for Pascoe Vale Christine Campbell MP called for a
Year 7 intake in 2011; both calls have gone unheeded.

And there was plenty of education spending to go round. Labor committed

hundreds of millions of dollars of state money to school buildings, all very
welcome and appreciated but Coburg doesn’t even have a school. And that
spending will be on top of the federal money expected to come next week.

“On top of the sham ‘taskforce’ that is being set up to look at this critical issue,
it’s no surprise to find that Coburg has been neglected yet again,” said Hall.

“This was the perfect opportunity for vision and an innovative whole of
government approach to the issue of lack of secondary education provision for the
greater Coburg community.”

DEECD spent over $4 million on the Shine media campaign, enough to fund
around half an open entry high school. This begs the question – what is more
important – education or telling everyone about it?

For more information please visit www.highschoolforcoburg.org.

To interview Cate Hall or Morena Milani, founding members of HSC or for

additional population statistics, photo opportunities or more information, please
contact:

Darren Saffin
0411 089 209
darren@djscommunications.com.au

- ends -
Map showing the state and Catholic primary
schools in and around Coburg
Map showing no open entry
secondary schools in the same area.
The two schools shown are Coburg
Senior High School (Years 10 to 12)
and Preston Girls High School

Secondary schools closed down / merged in the Coburg area over the past 18
years:

• Moreland City College - closed 31 December 2004 - now Coburg Senior High
School – Years 10 to 12 only
• Coburg High School – closed 31 December 1993 - buildings demolished and
site awaiting permit approval for development
• Newlands High School - closed 19 December 1992 - buildings demolished, site
now part of Pentridge Prison development
• Coburg Technical School - now Coburg Special Development School
• Hadfield Secondary College – closed on 31 December 1992 - buildings
demolished, site now a retirement village
• Moreland High School – closed on 31 December 1991 - now Kangan Batman
TAFE
• Oak Park Secondary School – closed 31 December 1992
• Moomba Park Secondary College, Glenroy High School, Glenroy Technical
School, Hadfield Secondary College and Oak Park Secondary College merged
on 1 January 1993 to form Box Forest Secondary College
• Brunswick High School, Brunswick Technical School and Brunswick East High
School merged on 1 January 1993 to form Brunswick Secondary College
• St Joseph’s College – closed 31 Dec 2009
To interview Cate Hall or Morena Milani, founding members of HSC, for additional
population statistics, photo opportunities or more information, please contact:

Darren Saffin
0411 089 209
darren@djscommunications.com.au