BENDIGO Senior Secondary College students can look forward to better learning spaces after funding for long dreamt of works to a historic block at the school.
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Bendigo Senior Secondary College principal Dale Pearce said it was a pleasant shock to receive $10 million funding in the 2020-21 state budget, announced on Tuesday.
The funding will be used to revamp the school's G block used to teach mathematics, parts of which were built in 1870, others in 1913.
Mr Pearce said this was the final piece of the jigsaw for BSSC after a spate of works in the past few years.
Works on the block could begin as early as 2022.
State budget 2020-21:
Mr Pearce said BSSC would completely refurbish the G block, governed by advice from heritage authorities. He said there were structural issues with the building, which BSSC had been talking to the government about for some time.
Mr Pearce said additional learning spaces, as well as casual student study space, and new staff office space were on his wish-list for the building.
He said BSSC hoped to make us of the central quadrangle, by covering it over, to bring in natural light.
"[G block] is desperately in need of a big make over, and it's going to get one, which is fantastic for our student," Mr Pearce said.
"It's a magnificent building in some ways. It's got lovely high ceilings and a lot of heritage features. But it's not particularly well suited to the style of teaching and learning these days.
"Being able to place our staff and students in really first class facilities will make a world of difference."
Mr Pearce said construction would hopefully begin in 2022, after BSSC engaged an architect, and went through the formal design process, then a tender.
He said he hoped most of the work would take place during 2022.
BSSC was one of 123 Victorian schools to receive funding in Tuesday's budget.
Epsom Primary School received $573,000 funding, announced on Tuesday.
Chewton Primary School has also received $1.423 million, while Newstead Primary received $2.460 million and Tarnagulla Primary School $1.862 million.
Nearly $1.2 million funding had already been announced for Elmore Primary School, $4.59 million for Maiden Gully Primary School, and $10.99 million for Kyneton High School.
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