Pascoe Vale students will soon have access to the first-rate sporting facilities they deserve, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.
Minister for Education James Merlino and Member for Pascoe Vale Lizzie Blandthorn today visited Pascoe Vale Girls Secondary College to announce the school will receive $200,000 from the School Pride and Sports Fund to resurface its sports oval. It will also be one of the first schools to take part in a new project to assess the condition of school facilities.
The oval has been out of action because of an uneven surface, meaning the school has had to predominantly run its sports program inside. The funding boost will be used to replace the uneven surface with new natural turf, improving the oval drainage and increasing its size.
Once complete, the school will be able to introduce a range of new sports, host inter-school sports competitions and allow students to use the oval for general recreation at recess and lunch times.
Pascoe Vale Girls Secondary College will also have its facilities assessed in 2018 under the new Rolling Facilities Evaluation, which will assess the condition of every Government school’s facilities over the next five years.
The assessment will continue on a rolling basis, meaning that after the first five years no school will go for more than five years without a condition assessment.
The last condition assessment of Victorian schools was completed in 2012 and the information gathered in the new Rolling Facilities Evaluation, which will begin next year, will be used to prioritise which school facilities need maintenance and upgrades.
The $21 million School Pride and Sports Fund helps strengthen community pride in schools and build sporting facilities for students and is part of the Government’s plan to boost physical activity in our schools. This includes meeting the Education State target of raising the proportion of kids doing physical activity five times a week by 20 per cent.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
“Projects like this one can make a big difference to the everyday experiences of students who deserve nothing less than first-rate sports facilities.”
“Lizzie Blandthorn advocated strongly for this upgrade to the sports oval and I’m sure it will increase community pride in this wonderful school.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Pascoe Vale Lizzie Blandthorn
“This sports oval will give students the chance to play sports such as athletics, AFL, soccer, hockey, cricket and softball on campus.”
“I’m sure many students will take full advantage of this improved sports facility to stay physically active and even try their hand at a new sport.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020