Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Mordialloc College

Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (19:13): (598) My adjournment this evening is to the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is an update from the minister on the progress of commitments that we have made at Mordialloc College, and particularly the planning works that have been undertaken for their STEAM centre redevelopment. We know that education is the greatest thing that we can do to change the lives and outcomes of young Victorians. Indeed this Labor government has invested significantly, from our early childhood education investments through our primary and secondary upgrades and our specialist needs and education settings through to TAFE. People in our community in Victoria know that a Labor government will always support our kids. We have had a few come into the chamber. I do not know if the young people have come in for my speech necessarily, but there are a few young Victorians in observing Parliament. I know it is not orderly to acknowledge them in the chamber, but you think of each and every one of their journeys and educations, and indeed all kids, students, that we have an obligation to support into the future. It is indeed an obligation that we take seriously when you think of the more than 1500 government schools that we have across Victoria.

In my community we have made significant investments to change the lives and outcomes for my constituents, because we do not want the first-class education that our teachers and education support staff provide each and every day to be hamstrung by second-rate facilities. The journey that we have been on in my electorate has been significant. We have heard just recently from Parkdale Secondary College students about the buildings and upgrades that have supported their education and learning, and from Mordialloc College students recently with their STEAM learning centre. We know how important it is to get more people involved in STEAM and to encourage more girls and women to follow up a career in STEAM. That is such a critical focus of Mordialloc College into the future, so we made a commitment of $12.6 million to invest in Mordialloc College, and I am really keen to see that type of upgrade and that learning into the future.

You can think of the investment that has been made across my electorate – Chelsea Primary School, Chelsea Heights Primary School, Edithvale Primary, Aspendale Primary and Mordialloc Beach Primary School. Yarrabah School is a specialist education setting that we have rebuilt brick by brick. It was portables city until an Andrews Labor government came to be, and no-one had supported those students. Because every student, regardless of their circumstance or their needs, deserves the best outcomes, Yarrabah was rebuilt. We can look at the investment at Parktone Primary School, Parkdale Primary that we upgraded, Parkdale Secondary College, Mentone Park, Beaumaris Secondary College that we rebuilt and then the Catholic and independent sectors. When it comes to education in the cities of Kingston and Greater Dandenong, a Labor government has had the back of our community.

To the young people observing tonight, I hope that gives you a sense of just the investment that Labor governments make. We wish you all the very best on your education journey. I know you will be tuning in to see how the education minister responds with an update for Mordialloc College’s upgrades.