The State Opposition Commits to the Return of Beaumaris High School

The State Opposition Commits to the Return of Beaumaris High School

On Thursday 20th of June 2013 Daniel Andrews, the Leader of the Victorian Opposition, travelled to the Yellow Ribbon Corner of the Beaumaris Campus of Sandringham College. In the company of the Shadow Minister for Education James Merlino, and in front of approximately 50 parents, Mr Andrews announced that under his Government, a Years 7-12 High School would return to Beaumaris...

-......I am prepared to say that we will commit to ensure that everything that needs to be done to make this a viable school into the future will be done. It will be a 7 to 12 not a campus of somewhere else but a school in its own right as it used to be and it can be into the future. The numbers tell that story.......'

The Beaumaris School Community Group sees this visionary statement from the Victorian Opposition as a major breakthrough in our campaign to return full secondary education to the Beaumaris campus. There is now an extremely clear choice between the current Government which will not allow the Beaumaris Campus to separate from Sandringham College and the Victorian Opposition.

Please note what this shocking Government decision has so far caused:

No Year 7 enrolments in 2014
Large numbers of parents deciding to take their kids out of the Beaumaris Campus to go to other schools in Term 3 and at the end of 2013
Less than 5 enrolments from the entire five feeder primary schools for 2014 at the Bluff Road Campus of Sandringham College.
Many families leaving the suburb of Beaumaris and its surrounds to live in zones for other secondary schools
Many families being forced to re-mortgage or take second jobs to send their kids through independent schools
An enormous amount of stress for families with kids at local kinders or primary schools who are now considering leaving the area.

But after Thursday's announcement in Beaumaris, local families and community members can now see a different future for our school.

The Opposition plan for the school includes:
To return years 7 to 12 teaching at a Beaumaris secondary school by disaggregating the Beaumaris campus from Sandringham College.
Implementing the master plan that was prepared in 2010 to modernise and upgrade the buildings
Provide the proper resources to ensure the school is sustainable and meets the communities' expectations.
Acknowledging the clear views of Sandringham College School Council, Bayside and Kingston City Councils, and the local schools and communities of Black Rock, Cheltenham, Mentone, Sandringham and Beaumaris.
Listening to the outcomes of more than 80 public meetings and respecting the views of the near 3000 local families who completed a recent survey for Cube MS on behalf of the Department of Education.

We now implore the Victorian Government to recognise its decision was wrong, rescind it immediately, and direct the DEECD (Department of Education & Early Childhood Development) to begin the process of establishing a stand-alone years 7-12 secondary school in Beaumaris to begin in 2015.

As always we will keep you informed of any further developments, but we can assure you this announcement has provided us and the community with a clear pathway for our campaign up to the State Election in just 16 months.

We will soon be asking every family in all five of the local Primary schools and the local kindergartens to throw their weight behind this campaign to return Years 7-12 Secondary Education to Beaumaris. This next 16 months will affect the future of every child and family at our Primary Schools and kinders for generations to come. We'll be back with more soon.

For more information see the Bayside Leader story on the Beaumaris school.
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