Families in Geelong will soon have a new secondary school with Oberon High School to be relocated to a modern facility to be built at the Armstrong Creek Education Precinct.
Minister for Education James Merlino today visited the precinct site to announce the school’s relocation and see concrete poured for a new P-6 primary school and P-12 special school that will open there in 2018.
Oberon High School’s relocation was announced as part of a review into secondary school provision in Geelong’s south, released today.
The review investigated enrolment demand for existing local government secondary schools in Geelong’s south, which includes Belmont High School, Oberon High School and Grovedale College.
It considered whether these schools have sufficient space to cater for future enrolments, including the extra demand expected to come from nearby Armstrong Creek, which is expected to boom over the next 20 years with an extra 7,000 school-age residents living in the area by 2036.
To meet this demand the review recommends either relocating Oberon High School to the Armstrong Creek Education Precinct by 2021 and building a second secondary school in Armstrong Creek by 2036, or building two new secondary schools in the Armstrong Creek area by 2026 and 2036.
The Community Reference Group involved in the review strongly supports relocating Oberon High School and the Andrews Labor Government will now prioritise funding in future state budgets for the relocation.
The Labor Government is building the Education State so that every Victorian gets the opportunity for a great education and every community has access to a great school.
There are already 42 new government schools in the construction pipeline following a record $1.8 billion investment in new schools and school upgrades around the state.
The Provision Review for Government Secondary Schools in Southern Geelong and Armstrong Creek is available online at: .
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
“Oberon High School’s new home at Armstrong Creek will give local families access to the first-class facilities they deserve and meet the growing demand for great local secondary schools in the area.”
“We will work with families through the transition to the new school site to make sure they are kept informed and get the support they need during the school’s relocation.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Geelong Christine Couzens
“Parents can now confidently enrol their kids at Oberon High School knowing its long-term future is secure.”
“Students at Oberon High School have been using outdated 1960s classrooms – this relocation to a state of the art new school at Armstrong Creek will give them the facilities they need to get the most out of their education.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020