Family fury at state plan to close schools

Andrew Mathieson
Plans to shut a Corio school this year are causing unexpected “angst” and “stress” among parents and students, according to Geelong councillor.
State Government has revealed plans to close Flinders Peak Secondary School in about six months then Norlane High and Corio South Primary School in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Corio councillor Kylie Fisher said her two student sons were already considering seeking schools in the city rather than transferring between the schools set to close within three years.
“This transition process has families under complete stress,” she said.
Cr Fisher’s eldest son, Jaron, chose Flinders Peak to start high school this year but, along with classmates, would now have to start year eight at Norlane High before shifting again to Corio Bay Senior College in 2012.
Cr Fisher said her youngest son, Cael, would be forced to stay at Norlane West Primary School for years seven and eight instead of attending a secondary school next year.
“My boys don’t want to go to school here any more,” Cr Fisher said.
“They’re now looking in Geelong somewhere and leaving the area because they’re worried about the affects of the transition on them.
“My grade six son is ready for high school, thinking he was going to go to year seven and have this great experience, but now he is to stay in the primary school setting for up to two years.
“He doesn’t want to do that.”
Kindergarten and year seven and eight children will have to enrol at Corio, Corio West, North Shore and Norlane West primary schools from 2012.
Twenty-two North Shore grade sixes will be forced to relocate to another northern suburbs school for at least one year to start secondary education, Cr Fisher said.
Corio Bay Senior College will eventually take on the load of year nine to 12 students after the nearby Flinders Peak and Norlane schools had shut.
Cr Fisher, a Labor party member, said the Government’s “intent of positive educational outcomes” was not reflected in the plan’s likely impact on families in the northern suburbs.
“The community knew it was coming but we were told in three to four years and now it’s actually in six months time that one school is prospectively closing, two years before a second school closes, so there is a lot of angst out here in the community,” she said.
Northern suburbs’ regeneration project director Toni Burgoyne said discussions on the Building Futures program to restructure several Corio and Norlane schools started around 2006.
A master plan that had “a lot of community and school involvement” was released last October, she said.
“There were a number of staff involved in our community forum,” Mrs Burgoyne said.
“The process has been going on for years in terms of the implementation.”