A thousand people rally for school

A lively rally of 1000 people marched through Yarraville Village on October 24, demanding the reinstatement of their local high school. The school serviced the Seddon, Kingsville and Yarraville area.

People of all ages rallies, including many families who live in the vicinity. They carried banners and placards and chanted as they marched.

Speakers included local Labor MPs Wade Noonan and Marsha Thomson, members for Williamstown and Footscray, respectively. Noonan said education minister Bronwyn Pike had commissioned an independent review to see if there were the numbers to support a local high school. He also said the community's wishes to have their local high school reinstated had been ignored by the state Labor government.

Socialist Alliance member Margarita Windisch said at the rally: "This is a step in the right direction, but it's important not to let the state Labor government off the hook. It was Liberal premier Jeff Kennett who was responsible for the school's closure in 1995, but Labor has been in government in Victoria for 10 years now. It's up to them to reinstate it."

The campaign has widespread local community support, which vows to keep up the pressure. The SKY High Working Group will hold another community event on November 29 at Fels Reserve, Yarraville, demanding a local high school.

Visit www.skyhigh.org.au for more information.

From GLW issue 816