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Kids Stay Home While Labor BunglesA failure to complete new school buildings has resulted in a delayed start to the 2007 school year for some students, while others learn in makeshift classrooms. By Philip Davis - 2nd February 2007 - Back to News Shadow Minister for Education Philip Davis said today that Labor had even bungled a school project in the Premier’s own backyard, with Williamstown High School Bayview Campus students sitting at home this week because their classrooms are not ready.
"If the Bracks Government cannot manage to get a school project complete in Steve Bracks’ own electorate, what hope is there for government schools throughout the rest of Victoria?" Mr Davis said.
"The 2007 school year began on Wednesday, but school for these Williamstown students has now been delayed, while they wait for the Bracks Labor Government to deliver on its commitment."
Mr Davis said Labor had also failed to deliver its promise of a new P-12 college at Caroline Springs.
"Students at Caroline Springs have been herded into temporary classrooms, and cannot expect to move into their new buildings until third term," he said.
"The full upgrade of Newcomb Secondary College is still under construction, despite completion being promised for January 2007.
"Students who expected to start their school year at the new Mill Park Lakes Primary School have been sorely disappointed, instead forced to bunk in with students at Morang South Primary School until their new buildings are complete.
"The site of the new Rockbank Primary School is still a vacant block of land. Labor promised this new school would be opened by April 2005, but students have begun the 2007 school year still at the old site.
"These examples are just a small sample of the wider problem we have here. Schools across Victoria are waiting for promised upgrades and new classrooms, but the Bracks Labor Government is unable to handle major projects.
"Labor’s Classroom Replacement Program was scheduled to have projects completed by February 2007, but that has now blown out to June 2007.
"Having children delay their start to the school year because classrooms are unavailable is a disgrace.
"Cramming students, who have been promised new classrooms, into temporary or old, rotting classrooms in the interim is clearly unacceptable.
"The Bracks Labor Government must start taking responsibility for its failures in education and smarten up its act."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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