A new report by Victoria's independent auditor has confirmed that the condition of Victorian schools continues to deteriorate under the Allan Labor Government.
Released today, the Victorian Auditor-General's (VAGO) Delivering School Upgrade Projects has confirmed:
- 29 per cent of school upgrades have suffered cost blowouts.
- 25 per cent of school upgrades have been delayed.
- The number of schools in 'poor' condition rose from 182 in 2022-23 to 221 in 2024-25.
- The Victorian Government has pushed back its target of having no school in poor condition from 2030 to 2034.
- Decisions relating to which schools receive upgrades are not always made in line with existing prioritisation guidelines.
VAGO also identified that three of ten "high priority" schools to be upgraded in 2025-26 were not in fact ranked as being in poor condition. Each of these three schools are located in Labor held electorates, including the Minister for Education's district of Niddrie.
The continued decline in the condition of Victorian government schools follows the Allan Labor Government's failure to deliver dozens of promised school upgrades and their decision to callously cut $2.4 billion in education funding in the 2024-25 State Budget.
Under Labor, Victoria's net debt is forecast to approach $200 billion, with interest repayments set to exceed $1 million every hour.
Shadow Minister for Education, Brad Rowswell, said: "The Allan Labor Government claims that Victoria is the "Education State" but their continued mismanagement of school upgrades mean that more students than ever are learning in classrooms in 'poor' condition.
"Labor's Education Minister has decided to upgrade schools based on politics rather than the condition of schools and has overseen a secretive process where cost blowouts are not transparently reported.
"Victoria needs a fresh start. Only a Liberal and Nationals Government will prioritise the essentials and deliver excellence in education through our new plan to support students, parents and teachers in Victoria."
