A Yarriambiack Shire school has found a new ally in state parliament, as it seeks to replace food and technology buildings that have stood for half a century.
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Hopetoun P-12 College council president Jamie Frankel said the school's children were using substandard equipment to learn essential skills for the future.
"The whole area is falling into a state of disrepair through no funding from the government," he said.
"We've probably been pushing hard for this for the past two or three years, and now the college is a P-12, it's a necessity to have it upgraded."
The college merged its two campuses in 2016. Mr Frankel said approximately 80 students were enrolled at the college in 2019, a decrease from previous years.
"All students from year 12 down to primary kids use these facilities," he said.
"There have been times when we've had serious problems with mice infestations in there, which is not ideal for kids trying to learn how to cook in a hygienic way," he said.
"It's just really dilapidated equipment, the same old combustion stove from the 1960s.
"Students' learning will be better quality if you're using up to date equipment, rather than what's around when their parents were born. It puts them at a great disadvantage for later in life."
Northern Victoria upper house Liberal MP Wendy Lovell drew attention to the school's plight in state parliament on Wednesday, calling on Education Minister James Merlino to commit funding to the school.
Mrs Lovell, who represents the Northern Victoria region, said she was notified by a former pupil of the school.
"She was a student there in the 1970s and said it hasn't changed since she was there, and the school also said a teacher who taught there at the same time had recently visited and was really shocked and disappointed to see the rooms were identical," she said.
"The school doesn't have an accurate estimate of the funding, but they're saying it could reach $2 million depending on how much additional work is done.
"Daniel Andrews came to government saying Victoria was going to be the education state. He didn't say it would be the education state for metropolitan Melbourne and major regional centres and the rest would be left behind, but that's what's happening in Hopetoun."
Warracknabeal campaign continues
Advocates for the Warracknabeal Education Precinct are also seeking a champion in state parliament, as they continue an 18-year battle to get their primary school, special developmental school and secondary college onto the one campus.
In a post to social media, the group expressed its disappointment at again missing out on funding in last week's state budget.
The campaigners had previously been seeking a meeting with Education Minister James Merlino. School Council president and Yarriambiack councillor Kylie Zanker said they were still waiting to hear back.
"We've approached every minister that will listen," she said.
"I felt sickened when I read about all the other schools getting new builds in the state budget, when things have reached a stalemate here. The buildings are still open, airy and falling apart around our poor students, it's a cold environment to try and be teaching in.
Mrs Zanker said the Special Development School had this year moved into the building completed in stage one, but it weren't able to deliver their full swathe of programs as the facilities were too small.
"The directive from the Department of Education was someone was going to have to move in to the new portion," she said. "The new science rooms are state of the art, but it's a three or four-block walk for our students to trek there from their home rooms, so it's not practical."
"Emma (Kealy, Member for Lowan) has been a great advocate for us, but it's just at stage everyone's hands are tied and waiting for stage 2 to happen."
The office of Stuart Grimley, leader of Derryn Hinch's Justice Party in state parliament, confirmed the group had been in touch and that he would be raising the issue in parliament.
Education Minister James Merlino said the government's first budget was about delivering on their election commitments.
"We will continue to work with all schools, including schools in the Warracknabeal Education Precinct and Hopetoun P-12 School, on their infrastructure needs," he said.
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