- Minister for Education
Docklands families are a step closer to getting a state-of-the-art vertical school thanks to the Andrews Labor Government with Docklands Primary School's main structures now topped out and complete.
Minister for Education James Merlino and Member for Albert Park Martin Foley today visited the $19.8 million site to mark the end of the construction of the school's buildings which are now ready to be fitted out for the start of next year.
The new three-storey vertical school will cater for 525 students, with an on-site early learning centre providing 66 kindergarten places.
The early learning centre will include two kindergarten rooms, administration areas, amenities and an outdoor learning terrace. The primary school will include modern classrooms as well as a library, music and arts rooms, a competition-grade indoor court for basketball and netball and outdoor learning terraces.
The demand for inner-city school places has increased dramatically in recent years and Docklands Primary School is one of 4 new vertical schools being built to help meet demand.
Together, Docklands Primary School, Richmond High School, South Melbourne Primary School and Prahran High School already provide more than 2000 extra school places.
Under the Labor Government, every new Victorian primary school being built will have a kindergarten on-site or next door, reducing the burden on parents and helping to build the Education State. This will see more than $1.6 billion spent over the next decade to build and expand almost 1,000 kindergartens.
This is part of the Labor Government's $5 billion commitment to provide access to a full 15 hours of subsidised three-year-old kinder to every Victorian child over the next decade, with the rollout beginning in 2020.
Under the education building boom, the Labor Government is also investing $6.1 billion to open a total of 100 new schools by 2026, ensuring every child can access a great local school and get a great start in life.
As noted by Minister for Education James Merlino
"Melbourne's population is booming and we've invested almost $170 million in inner-city vertical schools to make sure there are enough school places for young Victorians.
"This year we are expecting to reach 1 million students in Victoria, such demands mean we need to innovate how we educate Victorian students which is why schools like Docklands Primary."
As noted by Member for Albert Park Martin Foley
"State-of-the-art projects like Docklands Primary School and the other vertical schools we are building will make sure our children have access to the facilities they deserve."
