Families and teachers call for more government secondary school options in Greater Shepparton

Parents and teachers are calling for more public secondary school alternatives in Shepparton amid ongoing violence and poor educational outcomes at Greater Shepparton Secondary College.

Police are regularly being called to Greater Shepparton Secondary College due to fights between students.

Parents and teachers are once again calling for more government secondary school options in Greater Shepparton amid ongoing violence and low educational outcomes at the controversial super school.

The Herald Sun can reveal students are continuing to attend school fearing for their safety, with teachers saying police are still being called regularly to Greater Shepparton Secondary College due to violent fights between students.

It comes after the Herald Sun first revealed the community’s concerns about the super school almost four years ago.

The super school formed from the merger of Shepparton High School, McGuire College, Wanganui Park Secondary College and Mooroopna Secondary College.

But since opening in 2022, it has been plagued by issues including schoolyard fights, teachers working in fear and the college being forced into lockdown several times.

A new survey, which is seeking responses on secondary education in Tatura, is also circulating amid a lack of public schooling and transport options in the area and Mooroopna.

A father, whose children attend the school, said he was concerned about ongoing violence at the college.

“Fights are still rampant at the school but they continuously sweep it under the rug,” he said.

“When my daughter was attacked, the person received a one-day suspension until I rang up the principal and complained.

“I’ve just received my son’s first semester report and it’s atrocious. Before he started at the school, he was much more engaged.

“Teachers are not following up and they’re not notifying when work is outstanding.

“This is why we need more public education options in the area, the current system is failing families.”

Current and former teachers have also continued to express concerns about their safety, saying police had been called several times in recent months due to violent incidents.

In a letter seen by the Herald Sun, which was addressed to the executive principal Barbara O’Brien last year, it said staff members were “very concerned” about their safety.

The letter said the violence had caused teachers “undue stress”, with many seeking assistance from their doctors and were going on WorkCover.

But a Department of Education spokesman said the state government had invested more than $140m to deliver the state-of-the-art super school, with local students being able to choose from a broader range of subjects in the best possible facilities.

“More than 60 buses provide a free service both before and after school to make sure every GSSC student – whether they live in Shepparton, Mooroopna or the broader Goulburn Valley – has easy transport options every day,” he said.

“We have zero tolerance for violence or bullying and all incidents are immediately investigated.”

Lea Campbell, a spokeswoman from College of Mooroopna Learning (COOL), said Mooroopna desperately needed more public secondary schooling options.

“Mooroopna Secondary College (MSC) was a place where racism was largely unknown and unheard of and this is what creates the urgency of our campaign,” Ms Campbell said.

“A well known educator said schools who educate more disadvantaged students are ‘condemned to innovate’ and for Mooroopna’s children the social and emotional wellbeing is at the centre of how a reopened school will need to operate.

“At MSC we had teachers visiting families to ensure there are strong connections between school and parents so that the partnership benefits the students. A high school needs to operate as a place of trust and a community hub.”

Ms Campbell said bus timetables continued to be a problem for students who lived further out from the school.

“If you miss the bus you miss a whole day of schooling and that’s unacceptable.”

The Herald Sun revealed in April there were 2541 students enrolled at the four local schools in 2019 — a year before they merged into Greater Shepparton Secondary College (GSSC) – compared to 2070 in 2023.