By NARELLE COULTER
PARENTS are backing an online petition which is urging the State Government to reopen Maralinga Primary School.
Greater Dandenong councillor Roz Blades started the change.org petition which has so far attracted 99 signatures.
The petition requests that “the State Government keep this school given the amount of young families moving into the area. There is no primary school east of Chandler Road.”
Maralinga closed at the end of 2014 and all pupils moved to nearby Chandler Park Primary School following a merger process drawn-out over five years.
The petition has the backing of parents such as Soula Makridis who was incredulous that the State Government would sell a school site in a growing suburb like Keysborough.
Ms Makridis is secretary at Springside Kindergarten and said many parents she knows are opting to send their children to public primary schools in Dingley.
She said many parents believed Chandler Park Primary School was overcrowded.
Ms Makridis said she would have enrolled her own daughter next year at Maralinga had it been open. Instead, she will probably send her to St Mary’s Primary School in Dandenong.
“There has been huge growth in Keysborough over the last 10 years. There are all these people looking for schools,” she said.
“Lots of people don’t have a choice, they can’t afford private schools.”
“Do they (the State Government) think about what people are going to do with their kids?“
She urged other parents in the area to support the petition.
“Please help. We need to spread the word.
“They need to open the school up because it is putting so much pressure on families.”
Cr Blades said the demographics were changing in Noble Park and Keysborough east of Chandler Road, and young families were once again moving in.
She said there was no nearby primary school for families in the area immediately north of Maralinga.
“The very real hope is that the government might change its mind on Maralinga Primary School,” Cr Blades said.
“We’ve got insufficient schools and we need more.”
At their 14 December meeting, councillors agreed to write to the Education Minister and local MPs asking the government to outline the abandoned site’s current status and intentions for it, and to consider reserving it for future educational use.
Cr Blades said she would raise the issue again at the council meeting on 25 January.
“Kids in Keysborough South have nowhere to go to school. Parents I know are going out of the area and they don’t want to.”
Cr Blades said residents were also worried about what sort of housing would be constructed on the Maralinga site.
An education department spokesperson said that afte the merger with Chandler Park, the “vacated site at Maralinga Avenue was deemed surplus to education requirements and placed on the Department’s disposal list for sale“.
“This followed extensive consultation with local communities, and reflected the will of the community to undergo a merger onto the Chandler Park site.
“Chandler Park Primary School received $500,000 for architectural planning to finalise merger works in last year’s budget, and it has capacity to accommodate future growth in the area.“
Supporters of Maralinga voiced their concern on change.org.
Jenny Mayo wrote “our local community kindergarten families living in the vicinity of Maralinga Primary School have no option to attend a neighbourhood State Government primary school that is within walking distance from their homes.”
Daryl Pitman said “we are in dire need of more schools in the area not one less” and Springvale South residents Kath Cushen said “I believe we need to keep as many schools open and this is one of the better ones”.
Allie Ford of Noble Park wrote “schools are the hubs of our communities. They are where inclusion and multiculturalism start. They are where we become more sustainable. They provide places for people to meet, learn and work together.”
“It should never have been closed. It’s close to so many families!!! Keep it open !!!” wrote Melissa Gorham.
Helen Pitman of Noble Park said the “shortage of schools in the area is ridiculous. We need more schools not less. The area needs Maralinga Primary plus a couple more!!“
To add support to the petition go to https://www.change.org/p/state-government-of-victoria-save-maralinga-primary-school.
