Renovated classrooms and new facilities are in store for Mount Clear College and Ballarat High School following an election promise from the state government.
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Education minister James Merlino was in Ballarat on Monday to visit both schools and promised millions in funding if Labor is returned to power in the November 24 election.
Mr Merlino promised Mount Clear College $5.5 million to transform “tired old classrooms and facilities” with a major upgrade of Block A which houses art, music, drama and science facilities.
Ballarat High School was promised $8 million to modernise classrooms and facilities including a major upgrade of the ground floor of the JJ Sheehan Wing and renovations to the school administration building.
Mr Merlino toured Mount Clear College’s new $5.4 million technology hub, which is expected to open early next term, before visiting Block A which will be overhauled under the new funding.
“We are standing in Block A for a reason. Wonderful teaching and learning happens in this building … but the building is tired and needs to be revamped,” Mr Merlino said.
Mount Clear College principal Lynita Taylor said the funding was crucial to the school’s future.
“It means our students can move from small boxes in to flexible learning spaces which are absolutely crucial for 21st century learning programs,” she said.
“We have been delivering outstanding programs for our students but at times it can be quite challenging to give them the opportunities that are seen in so many other schools across the state, so it’s important we are catching up.”
Mount Clear currently has 1060 students enrolled with growth forecast to continue. Next year alone an extra two classes of year seven students will start their secondary college years at the school.
Ms Taylor said the Block A renovations would allow the school to create an arts hub to match the soon-to-open technology centre.
“It means we can forward plan. At the moment we are playing catch-up trying to do parts of the school. To know that funding follows that big picture thinking allows us to plan for the future and make sure we have a holistic approach to Mount Clear College, not ad hoc which it has been for so many years trying to maintain such a large and incredible facility.”
The school’s new technology hub, which is expected to be completed over the school holidays, will include spaces for home economics, metal and woodwork, vocational education and training, manufacturing and art.
The school investment comes on the back of last month’s announcement of $17.1 million for a new primary school at Miners Rest.
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