The centre, which is planned to be up and running by term two, will cater to children up to five years old.
CSC principal Kimberley Tempest said the idea came from the near-universal struggle that regional and rural schools had attracting teachers.
“As a young mother, when you have a child, it can be very difficult to return to work," Ms Tempest said.
“You have that typical mother guilt that you’re not a good enough mother.”
She said you can also feel like you’re not a good enough teacher.
The school hopes the daycare centre will alleviate the stress experienced by staff members with children.
Being on-site, staff are also able to visit their children when needed, be it for a hug or breastfeeding, for example.
It will also help make their day easier as staff won’t have to worry about dropping children off at different locations around town.
Ms Tempest said the new daycare centre would also ensure staff members enjoy a better work/life balance.
“It means that when you and your baby go home, that’s work over for the day,” she said.
“The teachers will have completed all of the planning, all of their assessment, all of the tasks that they’re required to do as a teacher, and they’re good to go home, and when they’re home, that is strictly home time.”
CSC teacher and mother of two Hannah Routledge said the idea of the on-site daycare centre is a game changer when it comes to her daily routine.
“(A daycare centre) would be hugely beneficial,” she said.
“There are huge issues with accessing childcare in the community at the moment. So it would mean I have confirmed childcare.”
CSC has become a leading school in regional Victoria and has gained a reputation for being a family-friendly workplace, so much so that it has attracted researchers from one of Australia’s top universities.
Monash University researchers have recently spent time at the school shadowing and interviewing teachers to better understand their working lives and specifically to see how teachers are managing during teaching shortages.
It is hoped that the research will lead to a deeper understanding of how educational systems and individual schools can support those teachers remaining in the profession.
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