By ALESHA CAPONE
SCHOOLS in the outer north-west suburbs are turning away potential pupils due to a capping and ceiling system, which disadvantages local families, according to Keilor MP Natalie Hutchins.
Ms Hutchins has spoken up in parliament about the plight faced by many education providers in the West.
She said schools in Melton and Brimbank area have been capping the amount of pupils they take, or using the distance a child lives from the school – the ‘ceiling system’ – as a reason for turning down potential enrolments.
Ms Hutchins said schools in Hillside, Melton and Plumpton had recently been affected by a range of issues including capping systems.
Ms Hutchins said in the last two years the government had failed to purchase land for new schools in the north-west “despite the ever-increasing population and precinct plans that have been ticked off and authorised by this government”, putting pressure on existing schools in the area.
“That comes on top of local secondary schools in the outer north-west having their numbers capped and therefore having to turn kids away,” she said.
“One parent in my electorate has five kids at the local primary school. She has been rejected by the closest high school because that school has already reached its cap and cannot take any more students.
“She now faces a situation where she has nowhere to send her five kids to secondary school unless she puts them on a bus or drives them a good 30 minutes down the road.
“They do not live within walking distance of a school that can take them. On top of this, one of her kids has special needs.”
Several schools in Melton and Brimbank use the enrolment ceiling system, while Springside P-9 College in Caroline Springs, Wedge Park Primary School in West Melton, Bacchus Marsh College and St Albans Secondary College have a capping system.
Star contacted the Minister for Education’s media spokesperson but did not receive a response before deadline.
