More than 300 extra classrooms may be needed in the inner west within a decade because of growth pressures caused by a baby boom and the popularity of the area among families.
Data compiled by the Grattan Institute reveals heavy pressure on schools to absorb the predicted 180,000 rise in students across Victoria by 2026.
A 56 per cent rise in student numbers across that time is predicted in Maribyrnong – rising to 62 per cent at secondary school level.
The modelling shows Maribyrnong may need to accommodate 5874 extra students in 235 new classrooms.
Hobsons Bay can expect an extra 1948 students, or 78 classrooms, due to a 15 per cent increase in demand.
Grattan Institute school education program director Dr Peter Goss said existing schools could only absorb some of the growth, and a number of new schools would be needed to meet the explosion in demand.
“There is a balancing act in building schools at the right time and ensuring existing schools are not effected or harmed,” he said. “But those new schools need to be available as required.”
Dr Goss said the wave of extra students now passing through primary schools in Maribyrnong would begin hitting secondary schools from next year.
“There are always pressures to minimise investment and there have been cases where the data used has been out of date,” he said.
“New classrooms or schools should not be a political plaything. Where local groups are armed with more good data, it leads the way to more fact-based planning.”
Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland said that because planning for schools was hidden from the public, marginal seats were often prioritised over areas most in need. “Communities should not have to continually lobby for government schools where they are needed, nor be held captive to marginal seat priorities,” she said.
“Planning and funding for schools must be based on need, not politics. We need a more transparent and fair system in Victoria.”
Neither the Education Minister nor the education department responded by deadline.
