Hundreds of millions in state budget for crumbling public schools

Dozens of government schools across Victoria will share $295 million in much-needed building upgrade works to be announced in Tuesday’s state budget.

The announcement comes as education advocates call for the Victorian government to fix the state’s status as a “laggard” on schools funding.

Education Minister Ben Carroll said on Thursday that $762 million would be spent over the next four years building and expanding schools, providing classroom space for thousands more children – mostly in the rapidly growing outer suburban areas like Melton, Casey and Wyndham.

Carroll said that 8650 more school places were due to come online next year and that $104 million had also been allocated to buy land for future schools in high-growth areas including Cardinia, Greater Geelong, Hume, Melbourne, Mitchell and Wyndham.

Carroll’s office said the additional funding will be part of $1.6 billion in school infrastructure commitments to be announced on Tuesday.

Among the 31 schools set to benefit from the upgrades are Merri-bek Primary, Edithvale Primary and Mount Waverley North Primary School.

Another $25 million will go for targeted repairs at another 24 government schools including Essendon Keilor College, Monbulk College and Diamond Creek East Primary.

Carroll said on Thursday that the government was “not stopping” its work in building and upgrading public schools.

“Great local public schools make life more affordable for families and give our kids the opportunities they deserve,” the education minister said.

“Victoria is building and upgrading more schools than anywhere else in the country, and we’re not stopping.”

Despite the budget commitment, dozens of government schools in Melbourne’s north-west are set to be hit with industrial action the day after the state budget, as teachers there walk off the job in pursuit of better pay and conditions on Wednesday.

The teachers, who are also angry over the long-term under-funding of the state’s public schools, are seeking a 35 per cent pay rise over three years. However, government sources indicate they will be offered 28 per cent for a four-year deal.

This latest step in the Australian Education Union’s industrial action will hit each one of the state’s 1570 public schools on a rolling basis throughout May and June, with teachers undertaking half-day strikes.

The planned action looks set to go ahead despite Carroll saying this week he would work through the weekend to try and strike a deal.

Veteran campaigner of the Save Our Schools advocacy group Trevor Cobbold said Tuesday’s budget was an opportunity to follow the rest of the states and territories, and allocate the money for a long-term funding deal with the Commonwealth.

“Victoria is the national laggard in the funding of public schools,” Cobbold said.

“Unlike every other state and territory government, it refuses to sign a long-term funding agreement with the Commonwealth.

“Funding in 2026 remains stuck at the 2023 level of 86 per cent of the School Resourcing Standard, the lowest of any state or territory except the Northern Territory.”

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