Victorian students will have better school environments to learn and succeed in, thanks to the state government funding key maintenance projects at schools right across the state.
Minister for Education James Merlino announced on Thursday 9 December that 94 schools will share in $7.26 million of ‘Planned Maintenance Program funding’, for vital improvements to classrooms and school grounds.
The projects address priority maintenance issues identified by the government’s ongoing evaluation of all school facilities – with work including fixing roofs and windows, repainting walls, resurfacing floors and replacing windows, pathways and stairs.
Mr Merlino said that this added funding was a great win for schools and would help children thrive in the classroom.
“This program is about ensuring that every Victorian school is well maintained and safe to provide the best possible environment for students to learn in,” he said.
“Our record investment in school infrastructure is delivering high quality classrooms for our hard-working principals, teachers and staff, as well as students and families.”
Almost $1 million of the funding will go towards maintenance to shelter-in-place buildings at 10 schools, which provide temporary accommodation to staff and students during a bushfire until emergency services arrive, or as a shelter of last resort.
The announcement brings the amount of planned maintenance funding the state government has provided to schools in the 2021 school year to more than $47 million.
This fund makes sure all existing buildings at Victoria’s 1,500 government schools are safe, modern and properly maintained to ensure students and staff are comfortable and safe at school.
In the past seven years, the state government has invested more than $10.9 billion in building new schools and more than 1,700 school upgrades, creating more than 13,500 jobs in construction and associated industries.
With 62 schools opening between 2019 and 2024, the government is ahead in its work to open 100 new schools by 2026, ensuring every Victorian child has access to a great local school.
