April 2008     The Victorian Government will invest $40 million to establish two new selective entry schools in Victoria’s outer growth corridors, providing greater opportunities and choice for students in regional and outer suburban areas.

The Premier John Brumby announced that Victoria’s two new co-educational selective entry government schools would be established at Berwick, adjacent to Monash University, and at Wyndham Vale in the outer west.

Mr Brumby said locating the schools in the outer growth corridors would provide greater access for more high-achieving academic students from a broader range of suburbs and regional areas.

He said both new selective entry schools will each take an initial enrolment of up to 200 Year 9 students in 2010, including places for highly able students from disadvantaged backgrounds. “This government is taking action to ensure Victorian families have the best schools. Parents want choice in the public education system and these two new schools will allow more students to get a place at a selective entry school,” Mr Brumby said.

“The creation of new growth zones in rapidly expanding areas of Melbourne will mean significant population growth in Casey/Cardinia and Wyndham and the Government is committed to building services to meet this growth.” Mr Brumby said the new schools would each have strong links with two of the State’s leading universities.

“The Berwick selective entry school will be situated on the Monash University campus, while the University of Melbourne and the western school will forge close links,” he said. “These partnerships will allow highly able students to work on joint research projects, attend special classes and lectures, and share facilities with a tertiary institution.

“There will also be exciting opportunities for staff from the universities and schools to work together, share their knowledge and develop joint projects that will benefit students as well.”

The Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike said the two new Year 9 to 12 academic schools would complement the successful existing selective entry schools – Melbourne High School and Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School. “These schools will also complement the range of selective entry accelerated learning programs as well as expanding the range of schools excelling in specialist areas such as the Victorian College of the Arts, and the Maribyrnong Sports School,” she said.

Ms Pike also outlined the government’s revised policy around selective entry education, which was developed after extensive public consultation, and which included input from government and non-government schools, parents, teachers and students.

A centralised selection process will be used to admit students to all four selective entry schools, with a common entrance exam taken by students when they are in Year 8. Ms Pike said that while the proportion of students that could attend the selective entry schools from any individual government or non-government school would continue to be capped.

“However, the cap for both government and non-government schools will increase from 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the Year 8 cohort in line with the Government’s commitment of increasing opportunities for highly-able students,” Ms Pike said.

“The Victorian government school system supports students of all abilities and talents, and it is important that we provide opportunities for highly able students to hone their skills in new and challenging ways,” Ms Pike said.

The two new schools will establish their own identities and will be governed by their own individual school councils. They will work in close partnership with the two existing selective entry schools and form a network of selective entry and specialist government schools.

Ms Pike said alternative plans are being developed for the North Melbourne site originally earmarked for the western select entry school.

From a media release by the Premier of Victoria, 01 April 2008

Link: http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/

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