About the campaign
With so many new families moving to Wyndham, the need for more schools across the City is also on the rise.
The State Government is responsible for building new schools, and they decide when and where the school should be built.
Designing and building a new school takes about two years, so the State Government needs to plan ahead to meet the demand for new schools in fast-growing new suburbs.
Here in Wyndham, our population is rising faster than expected, and we need more schools than the State Government has planned for.
That’s why the Schools4Wyndham campaign is asking the State Government to build more schools in Wyndham.
Campaign facts
Wyndham has a population of over 300,000 and is growing fast, even during the pandemic. More than half of Wyndham households are families with children. 58% of Wyndham residents are 35 years or below.
With over 100 babies born each week in Wyndham, we need 75 new classrooms each year to keep up with this growing demand.
Even with more schools being built in recent years, there is still an urgent shortage of schools in Wyndham. On average, children in Wyndham’s growth areas have around half the number of primary and secondary schools compared to Greater Melbourne.
The below graphs compare access to schools in Wyndham suburbs with the rest of Melbourne.
What it means to families
The shortage of schools causes a range of issues for residents. Concerns about a shortage of schools are widely and deeply felt by Wyndham families. In response to our School Availability survey, the key issues that residents responded on were:
- the level of facilities at existing schools for the number of students attending
- a lack of choice brought about by a shortage of schools and the limits of school zones
- long travel times or distances to get to school
Many felt our current schools are doing a great job with what they had and are trying to get more resources. However, as our city grows this puts unsustainable pressure on our existing schools. One response from a Point Cook resident was:
“It's crazy. Our local school is so rammed with kids that they have to run three different timetables. Remember what it was like in class trying to learn when another class was doing PE outside the window? Distracting? Yeah, try that with a third of the school outside the window all day, every day.”
- James, Point Cook
Who’s responsible?
The State Government is responsible for planning and building government schools. This includes:
- choosing the location of schools
- deciding when those schools will be built
- coordinating the design and construction of schools.
Under State Government policy, Wyndham should have one government primary school per 3,000 dwellings, and one government secondary school per 10,000 dwellings. We will fall short of these benchmarks under current government plans.
Wyndham City is taking action
Wyndham City doesn’t build schools, but we do advocate strongly for the Victorian Government to plan and build the number of schools that our growing City needs.
Wyndham City provides information to the Department of Education and state planning authorities about projected population growth, local demographic data, and the land available for schools in new housing estates.
The Council also provides submissions to the State Government each year on the immediate need for specific schools to be included in the annual State Budget, and we meet with local members of State Parliament to ensure they are aware of how many schools local families need and when.
But we need your support! Let the State Government know that Wyndham needs more schools, now and in the future!
What the State Government has committed to so far
The following schools will be built by the State Government in coming years:
- Riverdale East Primary School in Tarneit – opening in 2023
- Holyoake Parade Primary School in Manor Lakes – opening in 2023
- Lollypop Creek Primary in Werribee – opening in 2023
- Tarneit Mission House in Tarneit – opening in 2023
- Truganina North Secondary College in Truganina – opening in 2024
- Truganina North Primary in Truganina - opening in 2024
- Lollypop Creek Specialist School in Werribee - opening in 2024
- Lollypop Creek Secondary College in Werribee - opening in 2024
- Riverdale Secondary in Tarneit - opening in 2024
- Black Forest East Primary in Mambourin - opening in 2024
- Tarneit North Primary in Tarneit - opening in 2024
Upgrades or expansions are also planned for three of Wyndham’s existing schools:
- Alamanda College - upgrade of classrooms and facilities
- Tarneit Senior College - construction of additional stages
- Manor Lakes P-12 College - expanded capacity to be ready for 2024
- Warringa Park School - replace relocatable buildings with permanent facilities
- Truganina North Secondary School - funding for additional stages