More than one million students across Victoria will start the school year this week - and 14 new schools will open their doors in Victoria's fast-growing suburbs.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Education Ben Carroll today officially opened Mickleham's new Yubup Primary School - one of 75 schools the Labor Government has opened since 2019 to give every Victorian child the best education, close to home.
The new Yubup Primary School, named after a Woi-wurrung word meaning parakeet, has capacity for 650 students and has modern facilities including a large library, a community hub with an indoor multi-use court, arts and music spaces, hard courts, a sports field and a canteen.
The Labor Government invested more than $527.2 million in the Victorian Budget 2022/23 to build eight new primary schools, four new secondary schools and two new specialist schools across Victoria's fastest-growing areas.
In locations such as Tarneit and Truganina in Melbourne's outer west, Mickleham and Kalkallo in the outer north, and Clyde North and Officer in the city's southeast - the schools have a combined total capacity of 8,846 students.
Over the past nine years, the Labor Government has invested more than $14.9 billion in Victoria's education system, with the school building boom creating more than 21,200 jobs in construction and other industries.
The Government is also delivering more programs and initiatives than ever before to support hardworking families with the cost of living - and the cost of learning.
All Government and Catholic school students are eligible for free dental care through the Labor Government's Smile Squad initiative, and students with vision impairment that may otherwise go undiagnosed are supported with the free Glasses for Kids program. Today, preppies will also get their hands on our Prep Bags.
You can't learn on an empty stomach, so School Breakfast Clubs provide millions of healthy meals for kids across the state - and the School Student Broadband initiative, Affordable School Uniforms program and Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund make sure no student misses out.
As stated by Premier Jacinta Allan
"We're kicking off Term 1 with more schools and more support than ever before to help families with the costs of living, and the costs of learning."
As stated by Minister for Education Ben Carroll
"To everyone starting or returning, we welcome you to the 2024 school year and we wish you all the best for the year ahead."
As stated by Member for Kalkallo Ros Spence
"Yubup Primary School has room for 650 students, and it's just one of the many new schools the Labor Government is opening across Victoria's fastest-growing outer suburbs."
LIST OF 14 NEW SCHOOLS OPENING IN TERM 1 2024
Two new specialist schools
- Nganboo Borron School, Werribee - capacity for 148 students.
- Dharra School, Aintree - capacity for 148 students.
Eight new primary schools
- Yubup Primary School, Mickleham - capacity for 650 students.
- Wimba Primary School, Tarneit (includes kindergarten on school site) - capacity for 525 students.
- Warreen Primary School, Truganina (includes kindergarten on school site) - capacity for 650 students.
- Binap Primary School, Brookfield - capacity for 575 students, including 50 places for students with disability.
- Banum Warrik Primary School, Kalkallo - capacity for 525 students.
- Laa Yulta Primary School, Mambourin (includes kindergarten on school site) - capacity for 650 students.
- Topirum Primary School, Clyde North - capacity for 525 students.
- Kurmile Primary School, Officer - capacity for 650 students.
Four new secondary colleges
- Brinbeal Secondary College, Tarneit - capacity for 1,300 students, including 100 places for students with disability.
- Bemin Secondary College, Truganina - capacity for 600 students at the junior campus, and 800 at the senior campus.
- Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College, Werribee - capacity for 550 students.
- Yarrabing Secondary College, Aintree - capacity for 550 students.
