Victorian Labor’s campaign pledge for $1.3bn education ‘fix’

LABOR will pump $1.3bn into education and skills as its Victorian leader Daniel Andrews promised yesterday to revive the technical school system.

Victorian Labor leader Daniel Andrews has vowed to spend nearly $700 million on rebuilding and upgrading school campuses. Picture: Mike Keating.

LABOR will pump $1.3 billion into education and skills as its Victorian leader Daniel Andrews promised yesterday to revive the technical school system and spend heavily on rebuilding and upgrading campuses, despite the billions splurged on infrastructure after the global financial ­crisis.

Mr Andrews vowed to spend nearly $700 million on rebuilding and upgrading school campuses across Victoria, although $300m had been announced already in the run-up to yesterday’s election launch.

The decision to invest heavily in school infrastructure comes soon after federal Labor poured $16.2bn into the nation’s schools as part of the Rudd government’s discredited Building the Education Revolution program.

Melbourne’s surging population has placed intense pressure on the Napthine government to build more schools, adding to the burden of ongoing school maintenance.

In a heartland address to launch Labor’s bid to win the Novem­ber 29 state election, Mr Andrews singled out education as one of two key Labor priorities, also vowing never to cut health spending.

The Opposition Leader told about 400 party members, including four former premiers: “Labor will fix our schools, because­ kids can’t get a first-rate education in a second-rate classroom.’’

Bill Shorten used the launch to challenge Tony Abbott to campaign in Victoria, describing the Abbott government as Premier Denis Napthine’s ‘’invisible friends’’.

“I’m keen to see Tony Abbott out on the campaign trail in Victoria,’’ the federal Opposition Leader said yesterday.

“We’re probably going to talk about him more than they are.’’

Mr Andrews promised to spend $125m to establish 10 regional technical schools, which will be set up alongside existing campuses.

The tech schools would focus on providing labour to local industries and they would be open for students from Year 7 to Year 12.

Under the scheme, students would spend a set period of each week learning trade skills with courses designed by industry, TAFEs and universities.

Labor also vowed to spend $320m to reopen closed TAFE campuses, bail out institutes at risk of financ­ial ruin and upgrade TAFE buildings.

“We’ll pry open the padlocks on campuses and give our kids a chance,’’ Mr Andrews said.

Labor also will establish a $150m fund for camps, sports and excursions, to enable all children to participate.

And it plans to set aside $29m to cover school uniforms and glasses for the less well-off and for breakfast to be served each day for 25,000 children.

Labor launched its election campaign in Geelong, Victoria’s second-biggest city, where it is expected that up to three state seats could change hands on polling day.

The current parliament is made up of 44 Coalition MPs, 43 Labor and one independent, with predictions that there could be a hung parliament.

The Liberal Party released a statement yesterday warning voters that it was a “genuinely frightening proposition’’ that Labor could win government.