Funding promise for Melbourne Jewish schools
A re-elected Liberal Nationals government in Victoria would deliver a $5.25 million fund for security and maintenance upgrades for 12 Jewish schools across Melbourne.
A LIBERAL Nationals state government will deliver a $5.25 million fund for security and maintenance upgrades for 12 Jewish schools across Melbourne, should the voting ballots swing their way in the State elections later this month.
Representatives from 12 of each of Melbourne’s Jewish day schools gathered alongside several State Liberals at Mount Scopus Memorial College on Tuesday for the announcement made by Shadow Minister for Education, Tim Smith, and Member for Caulfield, David Southwick.
The fund will see the largest ever funding boost to Victoria’s Jewish schools. It will be shared among the 12 schools based on student enrolment numbers, explained Smith.
“We want to work with non-government schools to give all Victorian families choice in education. “I am delighted to announce this $5 million investment for Jewish schools as part of our $400 million commitment to non-government schools,” he said, adding, “As far as announcements that I have made over the last month in education, quite frankly this is one that I am the most proud of.”
Over a number of years, many of Melbourne’s Jewish schools have been forced to reprioritise much-needed maintenance funding towards security upgrades due to the heightened threat of antisemitic attacks and violence. The funding seeks to address the compromise.
“The Jewish community face an anomaly that any other school does not face: the fact that we have to deploy guards at our schools, that we need security cameras, we need high fences, that we need this kind of security because it is just the reality of life,” said Southwick.
“Jewish schools shouldn’t be forced to cut back on essential maintenance upgrades just to keep students and staff safe at school … This funding will go a long way to keeping Melbourne’s Jewish schools safe and help provide the facilities they deserve.”
Co-chair of the Australian Council of Jewish Schools Nechama Bendet welcomed the commitment from the Liberal party.
“Our schools have expended enormous amounts of school funds on security, and continue to do so, not out of choice, but out of necessity,” she commented.
“These amounts are funds that would otherwise be spent on our children’s education, including capital upgrades in our school facilities and grounds.”
The focus on the security of Jewish communal institutions is particularly topical; the announcement coming just days after the Pittsburgh shooting tragedy.
“It should remind us of why we have Jewish schools, because the evil man who carried out that massacre wanted there to stop being Jews. And therefore, our response is to redouble our efforts, to give our students a Jewish identity, and to help them build Jewish lives for themselves and for others,” said Mount Scopus principal, Rabbi James Kennard.
REBECCA DAVIS
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