Why western suburbs students commute for hours each day
A family in Melbourne’s west has revealed schools are so full their son is forced to ride the bus for 1½ hours each way from Point Cook to Williamstown every day. And with numbers growing in the booming western suburbs, he’s not alone.
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Schools in Melbourne’s outer west are so full some students are being forced to travel for hours a day to classes suburbs away.
One family has told how their son rides the bus for 1½ hours one-way from Point Cook to Williamstown each day because local schools have no room.
It’s feared the problem will only worsen as the west’s population continues to boom.
Mum Sam Gercovich said her family moved to Point Cook believing they would be “well set” for schools for sons Thomas, 13, and Ollie, 11.
But when Thomas was ready to start secondary school, a planned year-level expansion of a nearby school had failed to eventuate and local secondary schools were “bursting at the seams”.
Thomas now leaves home at 6.45am to catch the bus to school in Williamstown.
Road congestion means the journey can take up to two hours and he’s constantly late for class.
‘The whole situation just defies logic,” Ms Gercovich said
“There are no words to describe how angry and let down I felt.
“It’s infuriating.”
Wyndham Council mayor Josh Gilligan said the ratio of schools to children in the municipality’s growth areas was half that of Melbourne overall.
“Wyndham people are not asking for special treatment,” Cr Gilligan said.
“They just need a fair share to ensure their kids have a fair go in life.
“Compared to the rest of Melbourne, Wyndham has not been getting its fair share of schools.”
Cr Gilligan said new schools were urgently needed in Tarneit, Truganina and Manor Lakes.
Community leaders and families were pleading with the State Government to fast-track new schools and expansions, and fund feasibility studies into land for new schools in Williams Landing and Point Cook.
“With the State Government fast-tracking construction projects to stimulate the economy, including building more schools as part of their existing commitment to build 100 new schools by 2026, now is the time to ensure that families in Wyndham receive a fair share,” he said.
The Sunday Herald Sun has been told Wyndham schools are some of the most overcrowded in the state.
One primary school has eight prep classes and many schools have makeshift classrooms.
An Education Department spokeswoman said it was delivering on every commitment made to upgrade and build new schools in Wyndham.
“We are aware of the impact population growth has on areas such as Wyndham.
“Of the 34 new schools the government is delivering between 2019 and 2021, seven are in Wyndham, with three opening their doors in 2020 and another two opening at the start of 2021,” she said.
Wyndham is one of Australia’s fastest growing municipalities and is expected to double in size by 2041, making it bigger than Canberra is today.
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