Wallan Secondary College Community Consultation

Wed, Jun 23, 2004; by Bill Coppinger.

On Tuesday the 25th of May, The Minister for Education and Training, the Honourable Lynne Kosky, met with approximately 70 residents to discuss options for the new secondary school planned for Wallan.

Minister Kosky was welcomed by Assistant Director of the Regional Office for Schools, Mr. Jim Davidson.

A range of views were expressed about different models, with many residents forcefully expressing their views that a 7-12 High school was paramount. The Minister committed to continue consulting with the Wallan community to ensure the best option was chosen.

Ben Hardman, Member for Seymour and Minister Kosky discussing options.

The Minister addresses the assembled residents.

A follow-up meeting to the May 25th meeting was held at the Wallan Primary School on Tuesday 22nd June between 7:00pm and 8:30pm. Approximately 120 people were in attendance. The meeting was chaired by the Member for Seymour, Mr. Ben Hardman. The Regional Director of the Office of Schools for the Goulburn North East Region, Ms. Adele Pottenger addressed the meeting, as did other Departmental officials.

A range of views were shared from the floor, with considerable debate focused on the current and future needs of the community.

Three broad options were presented to the community members present. Mr. Hardman committed to take these views to the Minister as part of the consolation process.

The Three options presented were:

1. a 7-12 Secondary School
2. a 5-12 Secondary School with a 'middle years' component
3. a P-12 College, combining both primary and secondary schools over two campuses.

We understand that the majority community vote [92] was for option 1.

The Board's View

The Board of the Central Ranges LLEN takes a slightly different view of the needs of Wallan now and in the future.

The Shire of Mitchell has a very large migration of its youth, seeking education and employment opportunities. Youth unemployment is also an issue, as is the lack of a well developed labour market, limiting opportunities for young people. The opportunity exists within Wallan and the broader Mitchell Shire to develop a facility that can address many of these issues.

Clearly the ability to run a 7-12 school programme is needed in Wallan and this will occur, but the opportunity also exists to develop a community facility that can grow with the community as it grows. Technical, Vocational and further education facilities and programmes [for the entire community]are sorely needed for Wallan and the broader Mitchell Shire and surrounding districts, as is Community Health and Youth Services. The ability to integrate the planning for these services, at an early stage, gives the Wallan community an opportunity few communities ever get.

It is the Board's position that careful planning that aims to develop an integrated community education facility that has the needs of the students at its centre and that can grow as rapidly as the community and surrounding district grows, is required.

The Local Learning and Employment network will be running community information sessions in the near future to share results of its community 'environmental scan', launched in May 2004. This 'scan' is the most detailed socio-economic research of its kind, focused on the needs of young people and the communities they live in.

For further details, please contact the LLEN office.