high school for coburg survey report october 2009

8/14/2019 High School for Coburg Survey Report October 2009

1/36

High School for CoburgSurvey Report 2009

Prepared by Communications, Research & Citizens Service Branch, Moreland City Council October 2009

For further information please contact:

Catherine Hall 03 9354 3053 or Morena Milani 03 9025 0839, High School for Coburg or visitwww.highschoolforcoburg.org

Robyn Mitchell, Senior Research Officer, Moreland City Council, 03 9240 2365
http://www.highschoolforcoburg.org/http://www.highschoolforcoburg.org/


2/36

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................3

METHODOLOGY .........................................................................................................4

DEMOGRAPHICS.........................................................................................................5

SUBURB .........................................................................................................................5

NUMBER OF CHILDREN ..................................................................................................5

AGE OF CHILDREN .........................................................................................................6

YEAR AT SCHOOL ..........................................................................................................7

SCHOOLS CURRENTLY ATTENDED......................................................................9

FACTORS REQUIRED IN A SCHOOL ...................................................................11SENDING CHILDREN TO A LOCAL SCHOOL....................................................13

CONSIDERING MOVING TO IMPROVE HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONS .............14

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH CURRENT CHOICES ..................................15

APPENDICES...............................................................................................................17

APPENDIX A: VERBATIM COMMENTS - FACTORS CONSIDERED IN CHOICE OF HIGH

SCHOOL ........................................................................................................................17

APPENDIX B: VERBATIM COMMENTS - PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CURRENT

CHOICES OF HIGH SCHOOL ............................................................................................23

APPENDIX C: OTHER COMMENTS.................................................................................32

High School for Coburg Online Survey Report 20092


3/36

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The majority of survey respondents were either from Coburg or Coburg North.

Nearly half of all respondents (49.4%) were from Coburg, while a further 22.6%resided in Coburg North.

More than half of all respondents (55.9%) had two children. 20% of

respondents had one child, while a further 19.6% had three children and 3.4%

had four children. This gives an estimate of approximately 556 children.

However, 21 children are aged 15 years and older, which gives a total of

approximately 535 school age children.

81% of the eldest children are aged 10 years or younger, while only 8% of eldest

children are aged 15 years or older.

93.6% of youngest children are aged 10 years or younger, with nearly three-

quarters of youngest children (74%) aged 6 years or younger.

87.7% of eldest children are currently in Grade 6 or below. 10.7% of eldest

children are currently at high school, with 1.6% no longer at school or engaged

in tertiary education.

In contrast, 99% of youngest children are currently in Grade 6 or below, while

only 1% of youngest children are currently at high school.

100% of respondents rated the quality of teaching as vital or important, with87.8% rating it as vital. The range of subjects on offer was also a major factor

with 98% of respondents rating this factor as vital or important.

When asked whether they would send one or more of their children to quality

all-years secondary school in Coburg if one existed, 96% of respondents said

yes.

Just over half of all respondents (53%) stated that they were considering moving

to improve their childs options for a high school.

In an open-ended question, respondents were asked to identify the problemsassociated with their current choices of high school. The main themes that

emerged related to the distance of available schools to the Coburg community,

the lack of quality options, zoning issues with existing options, the lack of

available places at local quality schools (most notably Brunswick Secondary

College and Strathmore Secondary College) and the poor co-educational options

available.



4/36

METHODOLOGY

The High School for Coburg group conducted a public Question & Answer session at

the Coburg Town Hall on the 19

th

of August. 82 surveys were completed on the night.

The survey was also available online and distributed around several schools in the

community. A further 183 surveys were completed, giving a total of 265 respondents.

Names were also collected to ensure respondents completed the survey only once.

Survey was open between Saturday 8 August and Sunday 4 October 2009.

Data note

Not applicable and missing data have been excluded from the following analysis. Thenumber of respondents who provided a valid response, and whose response is included

in the analysis, is shown in figures headings.



5/36

DEMOGRAPHICS

Suburb

The majority of survey respondents were either from Coburg or Coburg North. Nearly

half of all respondents (49.4%) were from Coburg, while a further 22.6% resided in

Coburg North.

10.2% of respondents were from West Preston, 5.3% from Pascoe Vale and 2.6% from

Pascoe Vale South.

Only 2.3% of respondents were from all Brunswick suburbs (Brunswick, Brunswick

East and Brunswick West).

7.6% were from Other suburbs. Within the Other category, 35% were fromFawkner, 25% were from Reservoir/Regent, 15% were from Preston and 10% from

Hadfield. 15% were made up of respondents from a range of other suburbs but

constituted single respondents only.

Figure 1 Suburb of respondents (n=265)

Suburb of respondents

7.6%

2.3%

2.6%

5.3%

10.2%

22.6%

49.4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Other

Brunsw ick (incl.

East & West)

Pascoe Vale South

Pascoe Vale

West Preston

Coburg North

Coburg

Number of Children

More than half of all respondents (55.9%) had two children. 20% of respondents had

one child, while a further 19.6% had three children and 3.4% had four children.

Only 1.2% of respondents had five children or more, with 0.8% having five children

and 0.4% having more than five children.



6/36

This gives an estimate of approximately 556 children. However, 21 children are aged

15 years and older, which gives a total of approximately 535 school age children.

Figure 2 Number of children of respondents (n=265)

Number of Children

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Series1 20.0% 55.9% 19.6% 3.4% 0.8% 0.4%

One Child Tw o childrenThree

children

Four

ChildrenFive children

More than

five children

Age of Children

As the chart below illustrates, the majority of respondents have young families.

81% of the eldest children are aged 10 years or younger, while only 8% of eldest

children are aged 15 years or older.

93.6% of youngest children are aged 10 years or younger, with nearly three-quarters of

youngest children (74%) aged 6 years or younger.



7/36

Figure 3 Age of Eldest and Youngest Child (n=262)

Age Range of Children

1.5%

2.7%

3.4%

5.3%

12.2%

6.5%

11.5%

9.2%

8.4%

11.8%

8.4%

6.5%

1.5%

1.9%

1.1%

8.0%

8.7%

11.0%

11.9%

11.4%

8.2%

9.1%

7.8%

7.3%

2.3%

2.3%

3.2%

2.7%

0.0%

0.5%

0.0%

13.7%

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%

Under 1 year

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

5 years old

6 years old

7 years old

8 years old

9 years old

10 years old

11 years old

12 years old

13 years old

14 years old

15 years and older

Eldest Child Youngest Child

Year at School

87.7% of eldest children are currently in Grade 6 or below. 10.7% of eldest children

are currently at high school, with 1.6% no longer at school or engaged in tertiary

education.

In contrast, 99% of youngest children are currently in Grade 6 or below, while only 1%

of youngest children are currently at high school.



8/36

Figure 4 Year at School of Eldest and Youngest Child (n=188)

Year at School

2.7%

16.5%

11.7%

11.2%

20.2%

11.7%

10.1%

3.7%

1.1%

1.1%

2.7%

1.6%

0.5%

1.6%

14.9%

25.7%

16.8%

13.9%

7.9%

5.0%

5.0%

9.9%

1.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

3.7%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Kindergarten

Prep

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

No longer at school

Eldest Child Youngest Child



9/36

SCHOOLS CURRENTLY ATTENDED

Respondents were also asked to identify which schools their children were currently

attending. The responses have been divided into Kinders and Pre-schools, PrimarySchools and High Schools.

Numbers of children for schools attended is significantly lower than the estimated total

number of children of respondents. This is likely the result of the large proportion of

children aged 6 years and under. Consequently, the small numbers of children for

kinders, pre-schools and high schools means percentages should be considered

indicative only.

Figure 5 Schools currently attended (n=223)

Kinders & Pre-schools No. %

Newlands kinder 9 42.9%

Doris Blackburn kinder 4 19.0%

Turner Street kinder 3 14.3%

TRY Kinder Coburg 1 4.8%

Pascoe Vale South Uniting Church pre-school 1 4.8%

North West Brunswick kinder 1 4.8%

Lake Park kinder 1 4.8%

Gower Street kinder (Preston) 1 4.8%

21 100%

Primary Schools

Coburg PS 47 23.6%

Coburg West PS 33 16.6%

Preston West PS 33 16.6%

St Marks PS 26 13.1%

Bell PS 11 5.5%

East Brunswick PS 5 2.5%

Brunswick North PS 5 2.5%

St Pauls PS 5 2.5%

Pascoe Vale North PS 4 2.0%

Coburg North PS 4 2.0%

St Oliver Plunketts PS 3 1.5%

St Bernard's PS 3 1.5%

Newlands PS 3 1.5%

Brunswick South PS 3 1.5%St Fidelis PS 2 1.0%

Pascoe Vale South PS 2 1.0%

Pascoe Vale PS 2 1.0%

Moreland PS 2 1.0%

Strathmore PS 1 0.5%

St Vincent de Paul PS 1 0.5%

St Margaret Mary's 1 0.5%

Spensley Street PS 1 0.5%

Merri Creek PS 1 0.5%

Brunswick North West PS 1 0.5%

199 100%



10/36

High Schools No. %

Northcote HS 4 16.7%

Mercy College 3 12.5%

Brunswick Secondary College 3 12.5%

St Joseph's College 2 8.3%

Pascoe Vale GHS 2 8.3%

Parade College (Bundoora) 2 8.3%

Victoria College of the Arts (secondary) 1 4.2%

University High School 1 4.2%

Strathmore Secondary College 1 4.2%

Princes Hill Secondary College 1 4.2%

Penola College 1 4.2%

Northland Secondary College 1 4.2%

Footscray City College 1 4.2%

Essendon Grammar 1 4.2%

24 100%



11/36

FACTORS REQUIRED IN A SCHOOL

Respondents were then asked to rate the importance of five factors in their choice of

high school. These factors were: within walking distance; access to public transport;the quality of teaching; the range of subjects on offer; and, that it is part of the

respondents community.

As the chart below illustrates, 100% of respondents rated the quality of teaching as

vital or important, with 87.8% rating it as vital. The range of subjects on offer was

also a major factor with 98% of respondents rating this factor as vital or important.

The least important factor was that the school was within walking distance from the

respondents home. However, this factor was still considered vital or important by

70.6% of respondents.

Figure 6 Importance of factors in choice of high school (n=255)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Vital 16.5% 42.8% 87.8% 69.3% 55.6%

Important 54.1% 46.0% 12.2% 28.7% 37.3%

Neutral 18.4% 8.0% 0.0% 1.6% 5.6%

Not very important 8.2% 2.4% 0.0% 0.4% 1.6%

Not at all important 2.7% 0.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Walking distance

Easily

accessible by

public transport

Quality of

teaching

Range of

subjects on

offer

Part of your

community

Next, in an open-ended question, respondents were asked to identify all the main factors

that they would consider in their choice of high school. Responses were then coded

into the main themes and are presented in the chart below. Responses coded Other

comprised a range of factors identified by only one respondent in the survey.

The factors cited most commonly reflected the broad themes identified above.

However, several important new themes emerged. The need to maintain existing social

networks and friendships that children had developed throughout primary school was

identified by 14% of all respondents.



12/36

12.2% of respondents wanted a school to encourage an environment that embraced

diversity. This included diversity of ethnicity or cultural background, socio-economic

status, and sexual orientation. Respondents highlighted that this aspect was a defining

feature of the community and that a high school in Coburg should reflect that.

Safety, discipline and co-educational opportunities were other strong themes.

The verbatim responses are included in full in Appendix A.

Figure 7 Factors considered in choice of high school (n=168)

21.3%

1.8%

2.4%

2.4%

3.7%

4.9%

4.9%

5.5%

5.5%

5.5%

6.1%

6.7%

8.5%

8.5%

9.1%

9.8%

10.4%

12.2%

14.0%

21.3%

22.0%

22.6%

25.0%

18.3%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Other

Non-religious option

Uniforms

Access to trade subjects

Not too large

Well resourced

Accessible by public transport

Good reputation

Strong parental support

Strong leadership in school

Caters for different abilities

Co-educational

Disciplined atmosphere

Strong support systems

Good facilities

Excellent academic results

Safe environment

Environment that embraces diversity

Children can maintain social netw orks

Good range of extra curricular activities

Part of the community

Close location

Good range of subjects

Quality teaching

% of respondents

NB: As respondents could identify multiple factors influencing their choice, totals do not add up to 100%



13/36

SENDING CHILDREN TO A LOCAL

SCHOOL

Respondents were then asked whether they would send one or more of their children toquality all-years secondary school in Coburg if one existed.

An overwhelming 96% of respondents said they would send their children to a high

school in Coburg.

Figure 8 Whether respondents would send their children to a high school in Coburg (n=251)

Yes96%

No

4%

Cross tabulations of results by suburb show that 100% of respondents in Coburg North

and Pascoe Vale would support a school in Coburg. Most other suburbs showed strong

support for a high school. Respondents least likely to support a school in Coburg wereresidents of Brunswick with only 50% support.

Of those respondents coded as Other, a high school in Coburg received 100% support

from respondents who resided in Preston, Fawkner, Bundoora and Fitzroy, with support

at 50% and above from other suburbs.

Figure 9 Whether respondents would send their children to a high school in Coburg by suburb

(n=251)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Yes 97.5% 100.0% 92.3% 100.0% 85.7% 50.0% 90.0%No 2.5% 0.0% 7.7% 0.0% 14.3% 50.0% 10.0%

Coburg Coburg North West Preston Pascoe ValePascoe Vale

South

Brunsw ick

(incl. East &Other



14/36

CONSIDERING MOVING TO IMPROVE

HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONSRespondents were also asked whether they were considering moving house to improve

the high school options for your child(ren).

Just over half of all respondents (53%) stated that they were considering moving, while

47% said they were not.

Figure 10 Whether respondents were considering moving to improve high school options (n=252)

Yes

53%

No

47%

Cross tabulations of this question by suburb reveals residents in Coburg North were the

most likely to consider moving to enhance high school options for their children. Of

those respondents coded as Other, only residents of Preston and Reservoir/Regent

would not consider moving.

Figure 11 Whether respondents were considering moving to improve high school options by suburb

(n=252)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Yes 54.2% 62.7% 46.2% 50.0% 0.0% 50.0% 45.0%

No 45.8% 37.3% 53.8% 50.0% 100.0% 50.0% 55.0%

Coburg Coburg North West Preston Pascoe ValePascoe Vale

SouthBrunsw ick Other



15/36

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH

CURRENT CHOICES

In a second open-ended question, respondents were asked to identify the problemsassociated with their current choices of high school. Again, responses were coded into

the main themes and are presented in the chart below. Responses coded Other

comprised a range of factors identified by only one respondent in the survey.

The main themes that emerged related to the distance of available schools to the Coburg

community, the lack of quality options, zoning issues with existing options, the lack of

available places at local quality schools (most notably Brunswick Secondary College

and Strathmore Secondary College) and the poor co-educational options available.

Furthermore, 8% of respondents explicitly stated they would not send their children

north to Box Forest or Fawkner.

Figure 12 Problems associated with the current choices of high school (n=214)

13.6%

1.9%

1.9%

4.7%

5.1%

5.6%

7.5%

7.9%

8.9%

12.6%

15.4%

16.8%

18.7%

28.5%

34.6%

40.2%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Other

Religious based education not an option

Need to cater for changing demographics

Cost of private education prohibitive

Children cannot stay with peers

Considering moving out of the area

Poor curriculum choices at available schools

Will not send children to Box Forest or Fawkner

Existing options not within community

No available school near transport

Exisitng options have poor reputation

No quality co-educational options

Exisiting options are too full

Zoning problems/can't get into desirable school

No quality options locally

Too far away from schools

NB: As respondents could identify multiple problems, totals do not add up to 100%



16/36

The verbatim responses are included in full in Appendix B.



17/36

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Verbatim comments - Factors considered in choice of

high schoolPrefer a co-ed school offering a wide range of subjects & opportunities i.e.: sports, music partof local community, ability to continue on to high school with school friends.Their location (which suburb) It does make a difference if your child in the future writes BoxForest High compared with Strathmore Secondary. People will always have a preconceivedidea about your standard of education you receive and the stigma associated with an arearemains.A range of year 11-12 pathways as the VCE program doesn't suit everyone. We need asecondary that offers a traditional and non-traditional approach that incorporates VCE, VCAL,VET etc. The student support programs such as student welfare program, literacy supportprograms for students with learning difficulties, the facilities and resources at the school.A sense of community. A safe learning environment, where external pressures are mitigated

by strong discipline. Unlike other secondary schools in the region.OK - these are additional ideals...Prefer public (as opposed to private); school that caters todifferent learning abilities and provides appropriate learning opportunities for gifted children butwithin the local community and not exclusive and competitive; breath of educational experienceoutside a narrow curriculum; an alternative to religious education offered - moral philosophy?Decent facilities; strong parent involvement.History of school, low turn over of staff perception of wider community, reputation. Grounds,welcoming feel.Where do I start? Hmmm ... Local public secondary schools must have a progressive andswitched-on school council and leadership team (principal, vice principal, etc) that havestrategies and actions in place to engage with locals and others and to meet the challenges oftransition and the subsequent teenage experience. It must have resources that enable it tosupport its teachers, staff and students and not be set up to fail with lack of funds. Secondary

schools MUST have the capacity to engage in critical (self) analysis and to have the guts tochallenge both the Department and Politicians when state support is needed to improveeducational outcomes. It must be a LOCAL SCHOOL and not in suburbs that are threepostcodes from Coburg. It must be alive and vibrant (in the words of Dennis Denuto 'It just... thevibe... of the thing Get it Folks? And that just for starters.

I chose the high school, which I feel, will suit my daughter, not me.Building community spirit and a sense of belonging within our chosen community of residence.Continue to keep social networks within our children's 'accessible' reach!!A school environment that promotes social justice, embraces diversity and encourages childrento achieve their personal best,

Including in subjects - language (my child now has to learn a new language) sport and music.* Encompassing community values * Equality of education and resources * Vibrant teaching

staffLanguages, local parental involvement.Programs that encourage my childs individual interests/needs. Maintaining my childsfriendships with at least of a few of his friends from primary school multicultural and diverse interms of people and activities.

School as part of the community. Diverse population, reflecting Coburgs demographic.

Local community.

Main points are community and a local quality high school.

On tram 19 - walk from there.

Provide positive learning environment, cater for different student needs and abilities.

Just giving my children the best possible education.A child should be able to attend a high school with primary school friends. Having that support

base in the early years at High School is essential for children to feel confident as they enter amuch larger and complex world than they are used to.

My partner and I are in a same-sex de facto relationship and we require a school that in



18/36

inclusive and demonstrates clear policy and action concerning issues of discrimination,harassment and bullying. We would like a school that offers a diverse mix of students andteachers that reflects the diversity within our community. We would not tolerate any form ofexclusion or bullying for our children and family. We would hope that an affirming 'culture' isnurtured and stems from the curriculum right through to the more social spheres within theschool environment including students, parents and teachers.

Bullying policy in place and working. Sporting facilities; recreation.Open to all, part of the local community.Proximity to my home. As a single parent I am needing to work full time in the future and thatcan only happen if my child can make their own way home.

Whether it will suit the learning style of my children.Range of extra curricular activities on offer - sport, drama, music, camps, overseas tours etc.Discipline. Facilities and grounds - recreation areas. Reputation. Results.

Type of people who attend the school. I want a cohesive community that is relevant to us.

Not too big - less than 600.

Choices in subjects including trades.

*Size of School *Part of Coburg Community *Choice.Inclusive. Safely accessible by bicycle via bike lanes or bike paths. Access to facilities; pools,

athletics field, basketball courts. Trade/Technical stream. e.g. Woodwork, metal work, SchoolCamps etc.

A school that includes parent feedback/participation in building the school culture.

Principal, Programs, culture, arts, languages.The type of social culture at the school and what the schools bullying policy is and anymentoring programs. This is the top two things parents look for: the curriculum and socialaspect.Discipline, good teaching, up-to-date, good variety subjects, uniform, walking distance and apart of the community.Results achieved in senior classes. Sense of community and belonging to the schoolcommunity, which certainly happens at Coburg West where we currently go.Maintaining community and friendship connections from primary school through to high schoolare crucial. Community connection is a key factor that under-pins resilience, tolerance andindependence in our school students.

Quality, reputation, facilities and co-ed.Health and wellbeing of children in Coburg, in having continuity of relationships throughoutschooling. Sustainable logistics for our family in getting everyone to school and work withoutonerous travel constraints especially when children are younger and not as independent andwith regard to extra curricular activities in the school community.

Co-education. Uniform Good music program. Strict disciplined teaching.

High level of education equipment Good discipline.

Extra curricular activities and school facilities.

Leadership of the school.A QUALITY school essential where an atmosphere of learning is a must. Behaviour and studymonitored and any bullying etc dealt with harshly. Expect results on general to be above the

average ENTER score of 50 NOT another Box Forest or Fawkner High.Co-ed and public.

Vicinity (i.e. close to home) important. Teachers that care.

Quality of Principal, care of students, range of subjects.

A quality school located within our community.

Public state school.Safety of school environment and ability to foster inclusiveness without underminingachievement.

For a new school - experienced teachers. Adequate facilities. Discipline.High standards. Certain amount of discipline/limits. High in values. Mixture of subjects ratherthan quality i.e. Academic, Arts/Music, sports and trade.Variety of subjects Community Extra curriculum opportunities Look, Feel, Vibe of a schooletc Local neighbourhood school first option.

Part of local community.



19/36

Not dominated by any particular social-group, non-violent, secular but with an interest in allcultures and creeds. Non-discriminatory and opportunities for young women to thrive withoutfear. Languages and music a plus.

Community involvement, good sporting and music programmes.

Distance from home & subjects provided.

Size-not too big.

We just want a good quality school where our children can develop into confident andcompetent individuals and be part of a healthy functioning community.

Gay and Lesbian Friendly (Parents and Students and Teachers).

Student network continuity.

Sports programs, teacher quality, maths, science, music. Access to VET and VCE and VCAL..Match between the requirements of the child and the ability of school to meet them.Philosophy of school and the dedication and SKILLS and Knowledge base (as in best practice)of teaching staff.Q8. Factors covered most of the vital factors relevant to the High School. PLUS what about theCoburg 2020 initiative - why doesn't it include a HIGH SCHOOL!!

Mix of social & economics population.

Languages -Asian/options. Diversity.

CHOICE.Local quality school.1.co education is a vital option for parents. 2.a ethos of respect, high standards. 3.a schoolneeds to be more than a school. Its students and parents need to serve the community andgive back to it. Hence its not only a school but a place of importance and use to the communityoverall. This includes facilities that can be used by the school and the community to helpfunding and reputation that a school is more than that, it\'s a part of the community and itsfuture. 4.caring and encouraging environment for students. 5.good student services6.passion for learning by students, and teaching by staff through suitable processes.7.modern day learning and aspects need to be of importance to all students so they can adaptto the real worlds and be successful and proper contributors to society. 8.proper teachingtools and use of technology 9. A proper school council supported by local governmentbodies.Good curriculum Good extra-curricular program Good funding and facilities (IT, Library,Sport) Safe.It is very important that the High school be close to our home not only so that our children canride/walk to school but so they can catch up with friends in out-of-school hours.

Curriculum Academic Support Adolescent Support.

Cycling distance.Gay and Lesbian friendly Community connected Good life skills building and facilitiesOptions for progressive new ways of learning Parent and community involvement Sportsgroups Drama and arts Filmmaking SCIENCE SCIENCE SCIENCE.Discipline, uniform, well structured, respect taught at school for teachers and students needingfor respect each other. Good range of subjects, always being kept up-to-date.

Parking.

Reputation. Involvement of parents.Quality of education, variety of subjects offered, local, uniform, open minded, creative,nurturing, green.The suitability of the School curriculum for my child\'s individual needs. They are all quitedifferent and one school does not necessarily fit all.

LOTE subjects.The school must deal with bullying in a proactive manner and be an agent fortolerance/acceptance of diversity.

Quality not quantity and safety!I would like our daughter to go to a school where a good percentage of her classmates fromprimary school attend.

Quality of Education - results achieved Reputation of School.

Single sex boys school desired Catholic school desired.The most important thing is that my children go to a high school of high educational quality (ie -not socially dysfunctional, and therefore not a positive learning environment) in which they feel



20/36

they belong as part of a community. Ideally, this strong, cohesive identity should reflect a senseof LOCAL community, in which the students feel they have something to give to, as well as takefrom. The school should reflect the cultural diversity of the local area in which the student lives,just as primary school does. And I want my children to be able to access their local school bypublic transport so as to encourage independence and reduce dependence on environmentallyunsustainable domestic car transport.

We want a great education for our children in our community. It would need to have acomprehensive range of subjects, which included sport (they are both mad for it) and the arts -music, performance and art activities. Excellent teachers who are engaged with education andenjoy children is important to us too. Somewhere nearby so our kids can go to school with otherkids living in the area.It is crucial that my children are able safely travel to and from school in about half an hour, and Iwould also like them to continue to attend a school within their own community. In this ageof a fast growing local population, it is ridiculous that Coburg does not have a state co-ed highschool for the local children to attend. Whilst Brunswick and Strathmore are both relativelyclose, they are both full and will continue so Fawkner, Box Forest and Northcote are not viableoptions as they are too far away. My children will not be attending any of these schools.Community and location are crucial.

International Baccalaureate Program.

Girls only classes for some subjects.Local - part of local community, so kids can go to school with their friends.That the school should foster community values and be ethical in the way it administers itseducational programmes. That care is taken for the school to be inclusive of all cultural groupsand that the school embraces an egalitarian approach that allows for the ethnic diversity that isalive in Moreland. That the school should offer a good balance of educational opportunities,sporting opportunities, and overseas cultural exchange programmes. That the school shouldstrive for excellence and be innovators of new educational thinking etc.Not too big, not too small, facilities, breadth and depth of subjects, resources, buildings andgrounds.

Open access to all in local community.

Good values. Offer Arts subjects, music, drama etc.

Single sex, co-ed, religious and good reputation.I would like my children to attend high school with their friends from primary school. I don\'tthink we should have to travel further than 20-30 minutes to get them to school. We don\'t havea car to get to school, so needs to be in bicycle riding distance, or on convenient publictransport.

That they feel nurtured, encouraged and confident to do whatever they feel after high school.

Appropriateness of programs for our children.Important for my children to attend a school with other kids who have/are growing up withsimilar values and aspirations being taught by parents.

Diversity, caring, supportive.Supporting the local community by supporting the local High School. But there is no local highschool...yet!Safe environment, good quality, across the board of subjects. Would like children to be able toget there easily.

That my child is happy at school.

Distance from home and subjects provided.

Quality of teachers and facilities for normal and special children.Moving to High School with other children they went to Primary school with A school in thearea that reflects the changing culture and requirements of an area like Coburg.

Affordable school fees.

Uniforms.

Behaviour of other students, positive attitudes towards learning.

Quality teachers, academic support and curriculum.

Coburg/Pascoe Vale zone only!?

Location, Coburg is a big suburb.School community and ethos Other students Building and outdoor spaceaesthetics/ambience (i.e. is it a pleasant place to be in) Reputation in the greater community.



21/36

I believe high school should be at a close proximity so kids can travel with a single mode oftransport trains/trams/bus etc.I am interested in a small school environment where the students are individuals, and feel likethat they have a sense of identity and value. I am interested in a school where the teachersenthusiasm is encouraged, rewarded and stimulated by the management team of the school.I am interested in a school that reflects the changing environment our world is facing and

makes this part of their curriculum...encourages study in sustainable living I would be willingto support a local high school if these factors were genuinely considered.

I cannot walk far and I am a single mum. The transport cost is too high.I would like for both of my children to attend a quality, co-educational public high school inCoburg.

Mixed School community - diverse Cultural and socio economic backgrounds.

Peer & Parent Groups - commitment to the future of public education.

Locality. Quality. Varied in career directed education i.e. trade, art and design.Community involvement and maintaining family and friendship connections from Primarythrough to Secondary.

Catholic.

Policies of inclusiveness.

Quality teaching in a range of subjects - and not only academic but a full range of activities.Sports programs, teacher quality, maths, science, music. Access to VET and VCE and VCAL.Environment: - safe, conducive to keeping children interested & energised for learning,sustainable building & values.*Quality of education and results that the school is able to achieve. *Type of child that theschool attracts.I would like my children to be able to attend a local high school, one that most children fromtheir primary school or our neighbourhood also attend. I would like it to be easy to get to bypublic transport i.e. one or two short trips on a tram/bus. So that they can be independent. Or tobe able to walk or ride.... good choice of subjects and a school that is involved in thecommunity.

Walking distance and quality of teaching.Diversity. Inclusiveness, but also facilities for children with special needs, or needing extrasupport. Opportunity to help develop a community asset.

A variety of school sports A good music program.The cost of secondary education. There are very few public high schools that I would considersending my children to within my surrounding suburbs. However, the cost of private educationis prohibitive. The only choice may be to move away from the suburb for better schoolingchoices.It must be fully funded with its own facilities - i.e. not sharing an assembly hall or a sportsground or music facilities etc. with other schools or ad hoc arrangements with local council etc.

Common group of friends that have gone to the same area/primary school.

Public, Co-ed.I would really like my children to be able to go to a local high school that they can transition towith their local friends from their primary school. It\'s very important to me that she feels

connected to her local community, friendship circles and has an easy transition from primary tosecondary school. Schools now work very closely with local services and agencies and itmakes perfect sense for local young people to be attending local schools.

Well groomed, structured, co-ed.

That my children are able to attend school with their friends from primary school.

Co-ed.

Broad curriculum choices, quality NOW not tomorrow.Off road cycling route. Strong language and arts programs and science. Good pastoral careand support for kids with learning disabilities.Easy communication is important enabling students come to and return from schoolindependently.

Most important - the subjects.

Academic support.For us in Coburg we have no genuine choices. Unless you are a girl and can get into PascoeVale Girls School (single sex schools are a joke in my opinion as they do nothing to reflect the



22/36

gender balance in wider society - only freaks would send their kids to a same sex school ireckon). Open entry year 7 to 12 secondary school in COBURG is the only solution to this long-standing problem.

Good Quality, Community involved, access to extra-curricular activities.Safe route to school Close to home Zoning for area Good school providing lots of choicesof subjects and activities.

I feel that a public education is vital. I live in Coburg because there is a strong sense ofcommunity and no sense of elitism that exists in other suburbs. Regardless of cost, I do notwant to send my children to a catholic or private school. The fundamental belief that everychild should have access to free, local and quality education is very important to me.Able to ride bikes to school. Safe and supportive environment. Multicultural and sociallyaware. Academic excellence.

For my children to be able to attend the same co-ed government high school.It is important to me that a high school offers both academic subjects and the opportunity fortrade -style subjects Also important will be the school size (i.e. no. of students) and theexperience of those running the school.

It's all about the quality of education.Quality of teaching Student Behavior Academic outcomes for students Quality teachingstaff Extra Curricular activities.

State, public school, in my community where my children do not have to travel far.

The quality of teaching.

Academic excellence. Great extra curricular programs. Creative Excellence.Community is very important to our family and having friends locally is important for my child. Ianticipate that he will make friends at kinder and primary school that I would want him to takewith him to high school age. Also the further you have to travel to do things, catch up withschool friends, be part of the school events etc the less likely you have the time and inclinationto do it.



23/36

Appendix B: Verbatim comments - Problems associated with the

current choices of high school

Yes, definitely. We have 2 young boys, with limited options for quality high schools. we arecurrently in Coburg west, so out of the Strathmore S.C. zone & just within the Brunswick SC

zone- though we feel uncertain how these zones would apply in another 6 years. Like manyparents in this area, we will not consider sending our children to box forest or Fawkner SC's assuggested recently, in a letter, by the education minister. This is due to poor reputation &curriculums of these schools.

Too far to Govt secondary schools. Closest schools to us have too few curriculum options.The local catholic boys school was recently closed and our closest option is Parade. Thismeans extra fees for travel. We are out of Strathmores zone by one street and Box Forest isnot an Option, plus it is further away as is Fawkner High school. If they opened up the CoburgSecondary College to years 7-9 it would be one optionYes - the only choice we have is Fawkner Secondary - it is not our nearest school, we have nolinks connections or peers of my children who will be attending that school. It is not locatednear public transport so traveling there would be difficult. Unless there is a new / alternativesecondary school option for my 2 boys, we will be looking at moving out of the area. Coburg

Senior College is the closest school but as its years 10-12 it is not available to us when mysons begin in year 7!!We live outside the Strathmore Secondary College zone, and with the imminent closure of StJoseph's we do not feel we have any quality secondary education options for our two boys.Pascoe Vale Girls, and Mercy provide these options for girls.The options are difficult to get to and do not provide the level of quality that will allow my brightchild to meet his potential. The subsidization of private education has left public education is adisgrace and most middle-class families are now scrambling to buy into the zones of the fewdecent public schools or fork out for private. It's time that public education was made a priority!Yes. The schools in our area are zoned due to high demand from more families in the area.This has meant that if, as we are, we are just outside the zone, our options are nil.At present I am in the Brunswick Secondary College zone, I am a little concerned aboutboundaries changing in the future if demand increased beyond their capacity. I would prefer tosend my children closer to home, but would want a quality school. (I have lived here sincebefore the Moreland High School closed down). I think the changing demographics in the areawould support a second chance at an all years school on this site.Either too great a distance away or Has set up a catchment area which we are outside of(Northcote High) or Has reputation of standard of education provided being low coupled withlow level of care/safety for students.Limited, no good ones in our zone. Northcote has a good reputation but will be hard to get intoo.Existing options are not really in existence as theyre in NOT an open entry 7-12 secondaryschool in Coburg. It is a joke to suggest that the Senior High in Coburg is a genuine option as itis rare for parents to shift kids in the middle of their secondary education. The Department ofEducation should wake up and accept the fact that the senior school experiment (10-12) is a

failure for the citizens of Coburg and be part of the solution and NOT continue to be part of theproblem. Folks living in Coburg West arent in the zone to get into Strathmore Sec. College(Quality Public School) and Brunswick SC is busting at the seams (Quality Public School) plus idont consider religious schools to be an option in the slightest. The same goes for genderspecific schools in the area. Last month I found in my childs school bag a flyer for ParadeCollege in Bundoora, which is about 18km from where I live. That highlights the critical need fora top-notch public high school in Coburg. That sums it up for me.

Not any quality choices.

Yes huge problems. Zoning causes discrimination. Bad for everyone.Yes, accessibility and ease of transition from current primary school into a Quality secondarycollege.Yes - limited to going to Brunswick. Good school but would like option of quality High School inCoburg. Others such as Fawkner and Box Forest arent options due to distance and quality.

Because my son is four at the moment, not a huge issue right now, but I am feeling anxiousabout what environment will be available for my son.

The closest school for my children is Strathmore, which is zoned, and we are not in the zone. It



24/36

is also in an area with a different demographic to Coburg. I believe the core values of the twoareas are completely different and do not think my children would do well in such anenvironment

Not zoned to schools which lads can catch public transport to.Yes, many high schools with the current zoning requirements won\'t accept students that havefamilies on a minimum 2 year leases when renting. In combination with the current housing

crisis this poses many difficulties for families who want to stay in this area, this community withtheir children.

Distance, no other public co-ed schools.As my children are not school age yet my research to date about high schools is based on wordof mouth. As I live in Coburg my understanding is that my children can go to Brunswick Highbut it is becoming very full. It is the only school my children could easily attend by publictransport. With difficulty they could get to Thornbury High but I have heard that it is not a greatschool, so that does not interest me. I do not want my children to have to travel too far toattend school as I think that would be exhausting for them, so that is why I would like to sendthem locally. I also think that with a new school opening it would hopefully be setup reasonablywell with new resources and subjects.

Too far away.

Yes, as zoning has become almost essential due to the growing number of families in the area.

Fawkner is not our community.

Yes, there are no options in this area.

Pretty big gap between Fawkner and Brunswick High.Very limited, the numbers in classes are too high, the current schools do not rate high, privateschools are too expensive and the quality of their education is not good.

Either too far away or insufficient in years.Strathmore - out of zone. Pascoe Vale Girls - only appropriate for 1 child & not both, and wewould like to send both children to the same high school Coburg Senior High restricted.Others are too far to consider.Our concerns are that we moved to Coburg because of the community resources available toour family. The centre of Coburg offers our family all we need to be well and healthy (Access tovariety of food, community facilities, open public space, public transport, library, informal social

groups and meeting places etc;) - except for high school education. It is a huge whole for our3 Children - A girl (4years) and Twin Boys (One year). We have been in Coburg for more than10 years and we want our Children to go to local schools and if not right in Coburg we wouldonly consider schools that are closer to the CBD not further out North where there are issueswith transport and access to after school activities which are more likely to be in Coburg orinner City for our family. We don't particularly drive unless necessary, and as our children growwe would like them to be independent of us in terms of transport to and from school. Access toquality bike paths, walking and public transport are essential. We also do not want our childrentraveling for more than 20 minutes to get to and from school or using more than one mode oftransport to get there so that counts out any of the public schools north of Coburg. We areclear that we want a school that our 3 children can go to - so single sexed schools are not anoption.

Limited choice available for this area.

There isn't one that is close or is part of the local Coburg community.Cant afford to move or else I would probably do so. YES. We do not own a car. Private schoolfor us in unaffordable. We need a good school in our local area.Yes, there is no public high school within walking distance to us - we are zoned to BrunswickSecondary College to where they would have to catch the tram. We are looking at Catholicsecondary schools and for most of them the children will also have to travel quite a distance toschool - especially the boys. We need a school that is close by with a good reputation and highstandards of teaching and discipline.Only Brunswick Secondary is available to us and we are concerned with the growing populationand maybe the zone being reduced.

Too far away.Yes, boys schools are no longer in the vicinity. Bundoora is the closet school for Catholic boys

and the distance to far.Not many options for Boys schools. Local catholic boys school closing - cannot get intoStrathmore - Brunswick too crowded - Do not WANT child BOY traveling too far 'Can lead to



25/36

trouble'.

Yes, No real option in North Coburg within walking distance or via public transport or bicycle.

Too far away Not happy with the infrastructure lacking in same.

There are no quality schools in the area.

Bad reputation may not cater to my children's needs, too far.

Accessibility quality.Well for start you don't get 'straight' in to any school. But for a public school limits are either allgirls school or other schools too far in Reservoir, Box Forest ...Not much variety of quality schools. Curriculum is much the same everywhere. Not oneschool stands out which means standards drastically need to improve.Really only have one option, and would like to have a choice. By the time our kids havereached secondary school, the closest school may have reached its cap of change the zone toexclude us.

Schools are too far away from our home.No, I am happy with my zoned school. I also have a reasonable chance of access to otherschools.There is no choice for secondary schools in Moreland. We wouldn't consider Box Forest orFawkner secondary, lots of bad press.

Yes, there is only one co-ed school near us.There are no local high schools. Fawkner and Box Forest have a different community culture toCoburg.

No good co-ed public high school. Fawkner high has poor reputation.We are just outside the Strathmore SC zone and are zoned to Brunswick SC which is a goodhalf hour tram ride away. I shouldn't expect my children to have to travel that far to get to theirlocal high school. Im prepared for them to travel if they go to a private school, but not to thelocal high school.Not really... considering there are two girls schools already which I intend to send two of mychildren to Preston Girls and my son to Brunswick SC.The high schools are inappropriate for what I want for my children. Would happily send lads toStrathmore but don't think we live in zone.I would prefer not to move. There is no choice in Coburg. Box Forest is too far and wedont agree with single sex education. We are entitled to public education without having to pay.

Very limited, Public, quality choices.Yes. We are 'out of the zone' for Northcote HS & Brunswick SC. We are too FAR from theother options and we are unhappy with the remaining options.

Yes. Distance.Strathmore not zoned in. Brunswick secondary - too far Pascoe Vale girls- would prefer co-sex education.We are aware that the local high school (Brunswick) is already at capacity and that by the timeour son seeks to attend that we may struggle to secure a place. Other options, all private arenot only expensive but also not particularly easy to get to from Brunswick.

Where to send boys?Yes, Lack of choice. One catholic girls. One Govt girls. One Govt High school in immediate

area.Nearest school (Box Forest) is not walking distance or public transport accessible. Have girlsbut don\'t believe in single sex education (Pascoe vale girls school). What if had boys? Part ofsociety\'s responsibilities is to provide excellent accessible quality public education. Having thateducation within the community of residence add only value to the local communityOur closest school is Northcote and we would be very happy with that choice of school. WeRealise the importance of having a quality school in Coburg for local children in the area.There is no option for quality secondary education in this area for a child leaving primaryschool.

Absolutely... There really is no choice for a public school on offer in walking distance.No junior secondary school, ideologically opposed private education options, over crowding atother high schools (e.g. Brunswick Secondary).

Yes. Traveling distance and choice of school.Yes, there are none! At least not decent.

We are zoned for Northcote High School. However by the time my children are of secondary



26/36

age, there may not be capacity to take children this far from the school, as the southern art ofDarebin has had a huge growth in babies over the past 6 years. The next option is Thornbury,but this will involve tram, bus and walking to get there.

Distance, reputation.

Yes. Travel Expense.

I worry about the boundaries of the schools shrinking.

Difficult to commute by walking or public transport. Outside Coburg community and facilities.No network continuity for children. Poor reputation.Distance, zoning, number of students (class sizes). Bad reputation of Northern suburbs highschools.The current choice for my children is basically Lakeside Secondary college. I do not want tosend my children there for a number of reason, one being it\'s location in an industrial estate.We live equal distance between Lakeside and Coburg Senior High School. Where do I sendthem before they reach year 10? There are little to no other choices for me. There are 440pupils currently at Preston West Primary School next year there will be 480. That is a lot ofchildren that need a quality local high school.

Pascoe Vale girls - single sex for a family of girls! Want a co-ed quality choice.Yes. Nowhere close by accessible by public transport which most of our childrens peers mayalso attend. Fawkner and Glenroy are too far and out of range for independent travel that wewould be comfortable with. We would like a school in our community.Choice is limited to one school without having to ' make a case' for entry to another. Someschools I think believe their own PR and are overrated.

No co-ed High School for the children of our future in the local community area.

All need public transport to get to.Distance from our house. Concern that current options will be full by the time my kids get tohigh school age.

Yes no clear options.

I have no idea where I am going to send my kids to high school, as I don't drive.Currently we are zoned to Brunswick sec. college, but as we are on the other side of MorelandRd, I worry that we will be 'zoned out' of Brunswick. Our other options will be too far away.

No Brunswick Secondary is great.1.There is overall a lack of appropriate secondary education options in the area especially northof Bell St. 2 A lack of options for boys is one important issue. 3.A lack of a quality coeducation catholic school is also needed in this area.

Very few options in Moreland.Yes. We live between Bell street and O'hea street and are not in the Strathmore HS orBrunswick HS zone. We would have to travel all the way to Box Forest HS for our children'sHigh school education. I have no idea how we would get there as it is definitely not withinwalking or riding distance and I think the public transport options open to us are very limited.We would not be able to drive our children there as we work in the city. Why should we have totravel so far north!!! I have also heard that Box Forest has a very bad reputation and has agang mentality.

Yes because heard Brunswick Sec college very tuff school.

We are concerned about the distance our children would have to travel to attend high school ifthe current choices remain. We have already considered having to move out of Coburg in 8-9years time when our children reach high school age.

Yes - the standard of schools available appear to be academically poor.

Not aware of this issue.Princess Hill - too far away, difficult to get in Thornbury - not many spaces Northcote -difficult to get in Brunswick - huge school - not much connection to community - too far away!Yes! Very Limited for Boys schools and also quality girls schools. Distance is another factor;good schools are long traveling distances.

Lack of clear choices.Have moved from Pascoe Vale South to Brunswick West partially to ensure our son receives aquality GOVERNMENT education. Although we were zoned for Strathmore, we have heard

many negative things about this school (staggered start times to cater to excessive studentnumbers, reputation exceeds its performance etc).

The current choices are far too limited. We are lucky that we had our oldest enrolled at



27/36

Northcote High before zoning came in, and his brothers have all been eligible as siblings. IfNorthcote had not been available, I don't know what school we would have chosen between theremaining fairly unsuitable, options, none of which are easily reached by public transport. If asuitable school had existed in Coburg, we might have considered it. As an all-boy family, ourchoices are particularly limited, as there is an overloading of girls' schools in this area.The high schools in Brunswick and Northcote are quality schools and as such are extremely

difficult to get into. Being further north we must consider Reservoir schools however that takesmy child away from his peers. As a primary teacher I have known students who have beenaccepted into a high school that was their 6th choice. That far down the list it is really not aschool that they want to go to.

Thats just it, there are no current choices because there is no school in Coburg.There is no public high school in close proximity to our home, especially for my son. There is agirls school, but I would prefer my daughter to attend a co-ed school ideally. The schools weare zoned into are a long way away and would require several modes of public transport or a20-30 minute drive.

High school is out of the way and limits working hours etc.

Lack of choices within our zone that is of suitable standard that achieve high quality marks.

Subject strengths of schools versus distance vs accessibility.

We are yet to explore the possibilities.So far away to travel to and or too costly. Secondary schools should have the burdens removedfor the children.Fawkner, Box Forest and Lakeside, which we would get into, are difficult to access by publictransport and are outside our natural community. I would possibly consider Preston Girls, butI'm not convinced about the wisdom of single sex schools and then even if it was the rightchoice for her, she mightn't get in. Brunswick Secondary College would be a possibility butagain, she mightn't get in. If she did, it is a longish PT commute requiring a bus and a train ortram. And again Brunswick Secondary College is not part of our natural community. I thinkthose that have been saying that we shouldn't have a school in Coburg because it might takeaway funding from Brunswick Secondary College or that children might lose their zoning forthat school are being very short sighted and selfish. An all ages high school in Coburg wouldtake pressure off surrounding schools and create real choice for more children in the area.

We are zoned for Thornbury High School, even though this is way beyond our local communityrange, both in terms of public transport and knowledge of the area. (Because it is located onthe furthest eastern fringe of Thornbury. The grade 6 cohort at our Primary school will be splitup into about 10 different schools (including govt schools in Northcote, Fitzroy and Carlton)when all the students live in much closer proximity to Coburg than Thornbury High or ones inthe suburbs south of us. Only the kids from the poorest socio-economic families will evenconsider going further north to Lakeside, Bundoora or Reservoir District Secondary! They areseen as dysfunctional, second-class schools. The students of Preston West PS mostly live inWest Preston, Newlands, North Coburg and West Reservoir. They use other facilities inCoburg such as Coburg pools (indoor and outdoor), Coburg basketball centre and Little Athsclub at Coburg Aths track, play in footy teams in West Preston and West Reservoir. Theyhave no natural connection to Thornbury or even Northcote.Brunswick Secondary College looks good to me. I\'m concerned that they don't have a lot of

outside playing/sporting areas for kicking the ball at lunch/play times. Also the uniform isshocking! Not that this is really important but ...

I would prefer my daughter attends a co-ed school rather than an all girls school.My option for State run high schools is limited. I am out of Strathmore High's zone. BrunswickSecondary College informs me that I am on the borderline of their school's zone and the nextnearest school is only for senior children and I live just off O'Heas Street. Of my Catholic schooloptions I have to look at Bundoora and that is not even Co-ed. There is a Co-ed Catholic schoolin Glenroy and Broadmeadows but I am yet to visit it. Having had an accident this year andbeing unable to drive has really highlighted to me how important it is to have your servicesclose to you. I have had to rely on other parents ferrying my children to and from school. Howwould this have been possible if the school they were attending was not part of our localcommunity, which is what I am facing in the future.Strathmore - nearest to my house but is full. Brunswick - viable on distance but is full.

Fawkner -too far away. NOT an option under any circumstance Box Forest - too far away.NOT an option under any circumstance Northcote - as per Fawkner and Box Forest PascoeVale Girls - do not want single sex school.



28/36

No High schools in Coburg at all.Yes. No quality public high school in the area. Option for girls - Pascoe vale girls college. Nooption for boys. Would not send my children to box forest college.

The schools are too far away.No current choices available except Brunswick Secondary, which may be full by the time, weneed it.

Absolutely, at present most schools in the Inner Northern Region of Melbourne areexperiencing overcrowding. We are zoned out of all of the schools that are most desirable to use.g. Brunswick Secondary College, Northcote High etc. The schools that have been offered tous are not part of our community and do not reflect our community\'s values and moreover aremost difficult to access by public transport.The reason why we bought in West Preston and are moving from Bundoora is that we weren'thappy with the schools in our area. Zoned areas. Academic exclusive entry.

Extremely limited access and choice.Too far too difficult to reach by public transport not part of our community would split upfriendships from primary school not academic enough.

Not good reputations.

I live in Coburg, there are very few choices.

There are no male good secondary catholic schools in the area.I think at the moment we are zoned for Brunswick secondary college. I haven\'t been to theschool, but I am worried it is too large and crowded.Private schools poor quality of education. Closing of schools and merging of others Qualityand range of subjects limited.

DISTANCE QUALITY OF SCHOOL.Yes. We are outside the zone for the school, which is easiest for us to access by publictransport and not close enough to walk to any other.Distance and use of public transport for young children (year 7) that can't be accompanied byan adult as both parents work. Tough to access public schools out of zone. Safety ofkids moving North.

Too far away, or I fear they will be overflowing by the time my kids go to high school.Too Far away, not convinced any of the current options culture promotes values and idealssimilar to those in our family and community. Not currently impressed by any current orrecently finished students comments, about those schools who are suggesting they are ableand willing to take on the increased population of Coburg and surrounding areas.Yes, my child's older siblings had woeful experiences at the only educational s/c left in the areaafter Kennet's terrible decision to close/demolish schools.There are no high schools in our community. We want a govt ed for our children. Privateschooling will be too expensive, and we are not religious.

Yes, no school is close and because we live in Coburg North our choices are limited.

Yes, I would like my child to attend a school with a reasonable reputation of success.yes - have already bought a house to be closer to bell primary - and being in northcote highcatchment was also a factor.

Yes, traveling distance and choice of schools.

Strathmore is the best performing High school in the area and we will not be zoned for thatSchool When I look at the progressive High schools in Melbourne they are streamed co-educational schools There is no option for that kind of education in the public system aroundhere. Pascoe Vale girls is another good school however my preference is for a streamedco-education education for my girls I want to support the public school system but I am notzoned for a high school that will deliver the education I want my daughters to have access toI could send them to a private school however both economically and philosophically I haveissues with that course.

Distance - too far School fees - too high.Yes, in my situation their was only one High school (state) I could choose. I am a single mumand cannot afford to send my daughter to a private school there is not many options.Strathmore not available No guarantee of being accepted into school of choice (preferBrunswick). Not happy with reputation of Fawkner & Box Forest.

No quality choices at a reasonable distance.

No local High School with quality standards.



29/36

Nothing easly accessible by public transport.May not be zoned for high school of choice. Hugely expanding population of young familiesmoving into the area, I do not see how the current number of schools could possibly cope.

Current choice is 1) not in our zone 2) too far.Yes. There is no Junior Secondary School in our immediate area and the schools in oursurrounding areas are full or nearly full. With the population influx predicted for Coburg I'm not

sure what our options will be in 2013 when our eldest child will be starting secondary school.We do not want to send our children to a religious school and are hoping that by 2013 there willbe places available at a quality Secondary State School in Coburg or close surrounding area(within bike riding distance).

Yes. The schools in the area have too many students.

Current choices are not local.I hadn't really thought beyond primary school until I realised we had very limited options inregards to open entry high schools in my area (North Coburg). Down the track I was going tolook into Northcote as we are close to the tram line but I've since been told we are definitelyNOT in the zone. Unfortunately I would not consider high schools further North as for one thing,my partner and I work in the city so in terms of travelling we would be going out of our way todrive our sons to school. If these schools had good reputations this may be worthwhile butfrankly, and unfortunately, it sounds like this is far from the case. A friend of mine did hersecondary teaching rounds in schools in Fawkner and Broadmeadows and one word summedit up to her - depressing! In her experience the students were disrespectful and didnt care andthe teachers had 'given up'. According to her the stats of the students academic results totallyreflected this. I have to add that his was five years ago so maybe (hopefully) things have pickedupBrunswick High is the current choice, which I understand will be filled up by the time mychildren go. And will be zoned which would possibly mean that is not an option for us.Im not yet at that stage as my children are still young but it is important to me that there is ahigh quality secondary education option within Coburg.

Yes it is not within walking distance or attendable with a single mode of transport.My two eldest children travel into Carlton each day because the school they attend there offersall the considerations that I have previously mentioned. There is a broad mix if kids from

various demographics there which makes up a healthy learning environment and has created aplace that has allowed my sons to flourish. It has a fantastic music department withcontemporary motivated teachers, and I would be looking for a similar environment for myDaughter, now in preps.Coburg West parents have no choice! We are zoned out of our geographically closest highschool, Strathmore Secondary College (1.8 km from our home) and Brunswick SecondaryCollege (3km from our home) is at capacity. Box Forrest and Fawkner are over 5 km away,equal in distance to Princes Hill secondary college, from our home. WE HAVE NO CHOICE!If there was a High School in Coburg when my year 9 daughter was starting high school shewould have attended it.Not enough options, not sure if there will be enough places at local high schools when my kidsare old enough.We are out of zone for schools on public transport routes - the schools we are in zone for are

difficult to get to and do not offer subjects that my children are interested in.Yes, no high school for year 7 students.

No Junior High school within walking distance from home!The one quality college I would like to send my children to is Collingwood College and it is along way to travel.

Limited.

Quality of School Lack of Choices Poor Curriculum.

Not enough options in the Coburg area.

They are all very far away.We are currently within the Strathmore college boundaries, however it seems that this school isover capacity and so by the time my kids are old enough who knows what sort of school thismight be. Although my kids are so small if nothing is done now there will be nothing for

them in 10 years time (governments are not known for their speed of actions!) I have putmy kids names down at PEGS but this would not be my preference. I feel that in 10 years wewill have no public options so I did this as a backstop. You only have to look at waiting lists



30/36

for kindergartens around the local area to realise that the increase in small children is dramatic;Our local primary school also has capped the number of children who can attend. We don'twant to attend schools - primary or secondary - where the facilities are all stretched to the limit

We are zoned out of our preferred schools, princes hill or Brunswick.Distance, zoning, number of students (class size). Bad reputation of Northern suburbs highschools.

Yes. Distance, Quality, Culture.Yes there are problems. I considered moving for a high school when Sarah was in year 7 butshe got into Uni High on academic grounds. My other two children may not be so lucky.Box Forest is too far and the quality of education is not acceptable to our family. I wouldNEVER consider sending my children there.The distance to the closest schools is too far. The quality of those schools is questionable butthere is no choice at this stage. My sons/daughter may end up at different schools, which willexacerbate the distance problem. My children's friends will be from a large area so moredifficult to maintain social contact out of school.

Yes, no local public school options for Coburg.We have recently moved house and one of the major factors that we looked at were 'schoolzones'. Mainly for secondary schools e.g. Strathmore secondary college zone. There are veryfew real other options around this area. Private schools arent an option nor did I want my kids

to go to a 'boys' only college. We need more choices for a decent secondary school open foryears 7 - 12 and open for boys and girls. This is the number one topic for anyone with kids nomatter how young they are. We all know that the choices are limited and we need to plan nowfor the future.We are zoned out of Northcote and Brunswick, our closest high schools....both are easy to getto by public transport i.e. one tram ride away..... The department has advised us thatLakeside is our closest school...I do not know how our children would get there by publictransport, do not know anyone who has been there and from memory, the only thing thatstands out is that it is in an industrial zone.... why would I send my kids to somewhere I hadnever heard of, not part of our community? My eldest child has Down Syndrome and is doingwell in our local public school...we want him to go to high school with the kids he went toprimary school with. I would be very worried about how he would get to Lakeside by himself, orany kids from here. I want our children to travel independently to school but for the school tohave relevance to our local community. I do not think that Lakeside can provide that.All would involve excessive travel and none are available in my community, nor will add to thesocial fibre of my community. Coburg is a big, ever-expanding suburb. A local choice shouldbe available.

We need a local high school. Not many choices.No major problems since our older child is at Northcote HS, happy to be there and hopefullyour youngest child will go there too if there is no high school in Coburg.There are a limited number of quality high schools in the Reservoir/Preston/Coburg area. Theschool that I would choose, being Northcote High School is zoned and we live outside of thecatchment area for that school.Available schools are too far away for independent transport to and from, by our children.Other schools are in other communities; we need this school in our community.

Yes. Availability, choice quality of teaching, public transport, culture, environment (rough)safety at school.

Yes. Public co-ed schools are too far away.The only local secondary school in Coburg is from Year 10 upwards. I would prefer my childrento attend a secondary school from Year 7 to Year 12 so they do not have to go through twotransition periods.Yes there is only one co-education catholic school in the area Penola and only one state girlschool around (Pascoe Vale girls college). No State boys college.

Too far away and out of my community.

Nothing co-ed that I can send both my children to, as I have boy and girl.Brunswick Sec College to my knowledge has or is close to reaching its cap. I believe thatmay mean we need to send our children to Fawkner, this is a) difficult to reach and b) not in ourcommunity.Lakeside has irregular inadequate public transport and is too small, not much subject options.Box Forest and Fawkner are outside our natural community-I've never been there and don't



31/36

know anyone who lives there. Not prepared to try and build up a school outside my owncommunity.My son has been selected for Brunswick Secondary College for Y-7, which is far from mypresent residence. As such I am planning to move in Brunswick shortly.

Too far away Uncertain of quality of schools it; Box Forest and Fawkner.Strathmore Secondary means that we would have to suffer outrageous house prices to move

into that particular zone. Brunswick Secondary is doing well but the idea of increasing theschool population (1000+) does not improve educational outcomes according to well-documented academic research and just makes the school more like a factory than a part ofthe local landscape. One last message for Minister Pike and the other politicians like Campbell,Thomson and that lame-duck fake-leftie Carlo Carli. At least the Moreland City Council hasdeclared their support for a High School for Coburg. Time or the ALP to back ALP seats or justleave and let US manage OUR affairs.

Too far away to any good quality High Schools.

We are out of the zone of all the high schools around us.I feel that the options for secondary school education in this area are too far, low quality andovercrowded. I will move house in the next 5-10 years to Darebin or other areas to accessbetter and local secondary education.

Not enough choice and not sure how things work in system.

Yes, little choice for boys.Strathmore and Brunswick High are full. Box forest too far away and poor reputation. Wouldhave to move house to god knows where to get a decent education for my kids.

Nothing easily accessible by public transport, subject options limited.Coburg West residents cannot access their local high school, which is Strathmore High School.There are on other options within 2kms from our home. There are no locally accessible highschools in Coburg.There are not a lot of choices - those school in our area do not have a particularly goodreputation at this time (although I am aware that as it is sometime before my children are of thatage this may change) The Good Public schools nearby are restricting enrolment of childrenoutside their immediate suburbsThere are no current options basically. Kids from Coburg have to go to Brunswick, or you have

to pay for an education. It seems amazing in an area of high-density population, and alsowhere the demographic is changing so substantially to being young families. Something has tobe done about it.The high schools that my children are zoned for are of questionable reputation - where theyadvertise how good their social welfare programmes are - 'say no to drugs' 'safe sex'. I knowthat lots of schools have issues but I don't want my child in a school where there seem to bethe dominant issues I think that educational outcomes are important and the percentage ofstudents that go to university is important to me. If my child is at the schools that she is zonedfor where these percentages are low, I am concerned that she won\'t see university as a goodoption as those around her arent that interested in that direction.There is no way I would send my kids to Fawkner or Box Forest due to the inaccessibility ofthese schools. Brunswick is full.

WE NEED HIGH SCHOOL IN THE AREA. TRAVELLING TAKES TIME.

There are no options

Too hard to find the quality of teaching.There are absolutely no options currently available in the area as we require a non-religiousschool, which is not excessively costly.

Many public schools are simply too far away to be a consideration.

Haven't researched yet.

No Schools nearby.We believe that schools further north to us that have been offered, as alternatives are difficult toget to, and would require multiple public transports from our house.NO SECONDARY SCHOOL IN AREA. NEAREST SCHOOL IS YEAR 10-12 ONLY. ONLYOPTIONS ARE UNSATISFACTORY.



32/36

Appendix C: Other comments

I totally agree that a good quality local high school can provide many benefits to its community.It would attract more families to the area. Among other things, it would also improve the valueof local real estate, if it has good quality education options. At present, it is a very fragmentedprocess of children attending many different high schools. This problem will only worsen asmore local children reach high school age. As Coburg's population & its developmentscontinue to increase, it's vital to consider the issue of education. The local community,especially it's young people, need & deserve the option of a quality secondary educationI understand that a survey was given to all the parents in the public schools by ChristineCampbells office. She failed to direct any surveys to the Catholic school, (which their are manyin this zone) and we have to send our children the secondary schools as well. So any resultswill not shown the overall needs of the area.I hope, as a strong collective, we can pressure the State Government into action. In an allegedtime of ' Education revolution' I both thank you for your efforts so far, and wish for success.

Thank you most sincerely for your efforts and keep up the good work.

Access to a quality, low fee state school is essential. Thanks.There is a vibrant community of energized parents, which has grown in recent years in the

Coburg area. Given the lack of existing high schools, a high number of children nearing highschool age, there is a strong case for a high school in Coburg.There are so many choices for primary schools in all areas around Preston, that it seems tragicthat there is such a competitive edge to get into anywhere that is good at a high school level.There needs to be more choices, our primary school population is growing, at PWPS therehave two consecutive years of over one hundred prep enrolments, as this moves through theschool, in the next 7 - 8 years high school choices will be fewer, it is critical that more highschool options are available.Great work by the HSC people and the Moreland City Council (Cr Enver Erdogan in particular)has been positive on this matter. It is time for bureaucrats to serve the public and for localpoliticians to be representative of the electorate and to deliver a High School for Coburg.Make sure you act on the bullies and do not put their behaviour under the carpet. The teachersdo a fantastic job, do not treat them like s&*t. Do not do to others what you do not want done to

you.To ensure a quality profile of the Moreland Community. We need a 'Quality' School for ourchildren. Why drive families away?More pressure of Education Minister and local MPs. Minister makes decisions, not EducationDepartment. Action/outcomes are more important than words. They may pay at Ballot Box.

Would like to support this great initiative.Every suburb should have their own high school, 2 have been closed in the past (Coburg +Newlands) one opened and then closed (Moreland SC) then a senior school opened. Whywasn't 'all years' to start with? WE NEED A HIGH SCHOOL.It is ironic that I lived nearby to this area as a high school student when Jeff in his land grabclosed the high schools; we protested but to no avail. Now there stands hundreds of homes onthe old Newlands High site full of children with nowhere to go to school!!!

This community needs a public school.Your group is doing a fantastic job. Keep it up as it feels to me that the momentum is building.

Turn Moreland Senior High into a state of the art all years school.BSC is out of our zone and not the kind of school for us. We're planning on tutoring our son inthe hope of entry to Uni High if no CHS.The government should address the community needs and provide a quality school that willallow our children to receive the education they are entitled to.

Year 7-12 for coburg.Thank you to the HSC Committee for all the work they are doing. We hope that there can besome obvious changes made to the Coburg Senior High very soon. We really only have a fewmore months to

high school for coburg survey report october 2009

Documents