MAIDEN Gully Primary School's principal believes his school's infrastructure needs are the most pressing in Greater Bendigo.
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Principal Craig Arrowsmith said 14 out of 24 classes at Maiden Gully Primary were housed in portables.
This number is set to grow next year, as 100 new preps enter the school. Mr Arrowsmith said this would bring the number of classes in portables to 15.
The Labor state government created a master plan for the school in 2009. But Mr Arrowsmith said the plan was shelved with a change in government.
It's among several schools in Bendigo experiencing pressure as populations increase in suburbs such as Maiden Gully, Epsom and Strathfieldsaye.
Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said the Maiden Gully Primary's needs were her top priority, saying the school needed permanent buildings.
Enrolments are increasing at the school with 100 preps expected in 2020, about 30 more than last year.
Mr Arrowsmith said enrolments would continue to grow with several big housing developments soon due for Maiden Gully.
He said portables did not really affect children's learning, but there would be greater opportunity for contemporary teaching in permanent structures.
Mr Arrowsmith said he realised many of the state's schools were in growth corridors.
But he struggled to think of another primary school in Bendigo with needs as pressing as Maiden Gully. He said most Bendigo primary schools had some sort of significant works recently.
Mr Arrowsmith said the Education Department's regional office and Maiden Gully's local member were "very much across" the school's needs. He said his focus was what he could control: the teaching delivered by the school.
"We're very fortunate. We've got a very committed bunch of teachers that will work in any community to try to produce the best outcomes for kids," Mr Arrowsmith said.
Ms Edwards said Maiden Gully Primary School's needs were her top priority.
She said both she and the Education Minister were aware of the school's needs. She said new school facilities would make a huge difference in terms of the expectations for families who attended the school, both now and into the future.
"It is, of course, one of the biggest growth areas of Bendigo and the enrolments are predicted to increase significantly over the next few year," Ms Edwards said.
"It's a priority for me to have the school's needs addressed. They have a lot of portable classrooms, they really need [permanent] buildings."
Maiden Gully Primary School parents petitioned in 2018 for a new master plan for the school.
The Education Department made no comment when asked what actions had been taken from the 2009 Master Plan for Marong Primary.
A department spokesperson said the state government had recently announced $180,000 to improve classrooms at Maiden Gully Primary School.
"Enrolment projections for Maiden Gully Primary School for 2020 are 560 and the school's current capacity is 650," the spokesperson said.
"The school has sufficient learning areas to meet 2020 enrolments."
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