The Labor Party promised during the state election in March that if it won government Eagle Vale would be converted into a top shelf sports high school.
This morning, Premier Minns, along with his deputy and education minister Prue Car, rolled up to the school premises to confirm they would keep that promise.
The school is in the Leppington electorate, and Nathan Hagarty, who won the seat in March, was there for the announcement, along with other local Labor MPs, including Greg Warren and Sally Quinnell.
“Sport is the lifeblood of the South West, and our region has produced some of this nation’s greatest sporting champions,’’ said Mr Hagarty (pictured above wit the premier and Ms Quinnell).
“I am excited to see the sporting talents of the kids of the Macarthur region recognised with a specialist sports high school in their backyard.”
A new selective sports stream will commence in 2025 at the school, which will run the successful Talented Sports Program with basketball, cricket and rugby league as the foundation sports.
Planning for a multi-purpose, high performance hall and new and upgraded sports facilities is now under way to support the delivery of the program at the school.
Trials for the school’s foundation sports will be held in 2024 and the program’s first cohort will begin in 2025.
It will mean families in the Macarthur region for the first time will have a school on their doorstep that caters to students excelling in sports, alongside a strong academic program.
Previously, up-and-coming athletes in the region have had to make long trips out of the area to pursue their athletic ambitions at other sports high schools.
The Talented Sports Program, which runs in another seven NSW public high schools, has a long tradition of nurturing some of the country’s best up-and-coming athletes.
Alumni of NSW public sports high schools include Test cricketer Usman Khawaja, soccer great Harry Kewell and Campbelltown’s own Matilda star Alanna Kennedy, as well as former Australian rugby league captain Boyd Cordner.
Local and national sporting organisations, including Wests Tigers NRL club, have given in-principle support to partner with the school for the program.
Formal partnership agreements are expected to follow with Wests Tigers, Macarthur Rams, Camden Tigers and Macarthur District Football Associations (soccer), Campbelltown, Wollondilly and Roar Basketball Associations, Campbelltown/Camden District Cricket Club and Camden District Cricket Association, plus Macarthur Quake Futsal Club.
The school will continue to cater comprehensively to local students, with the program and upgrades offering increased academic and sporting opportunities through increased curriculum options.
“Our commitment at Eagle Vale will mean children in South Western Sydney will finally get a real opportunity to follow their sporting dreams – without having to commit hours to travel every day,’’ Premier Minns said at this morning’s announcement.
“This is a project that Labor MPs in the region, especially Anoulack Chanthivong, Nathan Hagarty and Greg Warren, have championed for years and we’re proud that as a government we can now bring it to fruition.”
Deputy premier and minister for education and early learning Prue Car said that having a school to meet the needs of upcoming young athletes in Macarthur was long overdue.
“Instead of spending hours each day getting to and from school, the region’s gifted young athletes will soon have more time to concentrate on both their studies and sport, with quality facilities easily accessible from home,’’ Ms Car said.
