Victorian Labor has pledged more than A$1.17 billion to upgrade 228 public schools if it wins the upcoming state election, with additional funding promised for non-government schools.
Premier Ben Carroll said A$500 million would be allocated to improvements at non-government schools, including A$350 million for Catholic schools and A$150 million for low-fee independent schools. Islamic schools would receive A$30 million of that funding.
The public school programme includes A$35 million for a new indoor sports facility at Bellarine Secondary College, south-west of Melbourne, and A$26 million for a science, technology, engineering, arts and maths centre at Koonung Secondary College.
Mr Carroll said the government had delivered the country’s best NAPLAN results and built 121 new schools.
“Now we’ll upgrade hundreds more to give our kids the best start,” he said.
Education Minister Gabrielle Williams challenged opposition leader Jess Wilson to identify which projects she would abandon.
Labor has also announced a A$50 million grants programme for security upgrades and larger physical works at public schools. The scheme is intended to help more schools open their facilities to sporting clubs and community groups.
A trial at 50 schools in Melbourne’s western suburbs was announced under former premier Jacinta Allan. Community Sport Minister Ros Spence said the trial had been successful and would now be extended across the state.
“Labor’s trial in the west was a success, now we’re taking it statewide – so more clubs and community groups can benefit,” she said.
The commitments come as Labor faces allegations that it secretly reduced funding for non-government schools. Ms Wilson made the claim in a letter to Victoria’s treasury secretary on Wednesday, ahead of the release of the department’s final pre-election budget health check.
“Victorians are entitled to know the decisions being made in their name,” she wrote, also calling for any other alleged “secret cuts or taxes” to be disclosed.
Labor denied making cuts, saying the funding decision was intended to ensure private schools did not receive more than their entitlements under the Schooling Resource Standard.
Ms Wilson criticised the school upgrade package on Saturday as another major pre-election promise, saying previous commitments had not all been delivered.
