Kensington Primary still needs its fix

After years of campaigning for funding to fix major problems at Kensington Primary School, the Minister for Education visited the school to take a look in late February.

But there is not yet an indication of whether or not the school will get its entire fix.

Minister for Education James Merlino agreed to visit to the school when Greens State MP Ellen Sandell raised it in Parliament.

The 140-year-old school has long been dogged by maintenance issues and a lack of funding to address them.

Local parent Jonathan Orr said parents had been paying for some of the repairs.

“The underlying issue with the school is that it’s an old building that requires maintenance and the maintenance budget provided by the department is insufficient for the needs of the building,” he said.

“So, there’s basic plumbing problems, water leaks and other bits and pieces that the school has to fund out of the meagre maintenance budget.”

He also said that with more than 500 students the school was coming under increasing pressure, using only one toilet block.

In the administration centre of the school, Mr Orr said there was a spot with X marks on the floor “because if you walk through that area there’s a reasonable chance you’d fall through the floor”.

The school was allocated $200,000 in the 2019 State Budget, but at the time Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said the school really needed more than a million dollars to be brought up to standard.

After his February visit, Minister for Education James Merlino said needs would be considered again as part of the State Budget process.

“I was pleased to visit Kensington Primary School with Sheena Watt MP and Ellen Sandell MP for a tour of the school with Principal Bridget McLaughlin,” he said. 

“Kensington Primary School is a great school and it was wonderful to hear from staff and students.” 

“We have already invested more than $260,000 for maintenance and capital works along with a new double-storey building at the school, and we know much more needs to be done.” 

“We will consider the needs of Kensington Primary School, and all schools, as part of the State Budget process” 

Greens MP Ellen Sandell said the maintenance and safety issues were urgent.

“Kensington Primary is a great school, but the buildings are more than 140 years old and there are some urgent maintenance and safety issues that need to be fixed,” she said.

“I’m so pleased that, after I asked him in Parliament, the Minister visited Kensington Primary with me to see these issues for himself.”

“I’ve put in a bid to the Victorian Treasurer to get the funding that Kensington Primary needs this year. I very much hope that the school receives the funding they need to fix the toilets, guttering, and more.”