Hannah Hammoud
The demand for a government secondary school in Derrimut is growing, with Brimbank council calling on the Department of Education and Training to provide an update on future planning.
Councillor Thomas O’Reilly raised a notice of motion at the most recent council meeting, requesting an updated assessment on future planning for secondary school education provisions in Derrimut to accommodate for population growth in the area.
Derrimut resident and mother of two primary-aged children, Rebecca Xuereb, said many families in the area are at the stage of considering high school enrollment for their children.
“There are a lot of young kids and families in the area, and there is a huge demand for a local state secondary school. We would love to send our kids to a high school that is close to home, and easier to get to and from,“ she said.
Ms Xuereb said many local parents rely on sending their kids to Victoria University Secondary College (VUSC) in Deer Park.
“There are not many options apart from VUSC, and we don’t know how many students that school is capped at. There is definitely a need for a government high school in Derrimut,” she said.
Cr O’Reilly cited findings from a Brimbank council commissioned research report in 2019 into secondary school demand and supply for Derrimut.
“A finding was that to get to Derrimut from VUSC, approximately five kilometres on public transport, it can take over one hour,” he said.
“… Families and young people in Derrimut face challenges in the distance that they must travel to attend a government secondary school and therefore lack a convenient secondary school in choices compared to students in other suburbs in Brimbank.”
The Department of Education and Training and the Victorian School Building Authority previously indicated there was not sufficient population to build a school in Derrimut, but noted the catchment had capacity to meet future demand.
