Once a term, the teachers at Middle Indigo Primary have to empty the murky chambers at the bottom of the school's long drop toilets.
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It's an unpleasant task, and one that would not be required if the school had a septic system and flushing toilets.
"I don't think any school in Australia should have to put up with pooing in a hole," the school's acting principal James Farley said.
Preps at the small rural school in Victoria's north-east find the drop toilets daunting.
They were installed a decade ago to conserve water during the drought.
"In the so-called Education State, teachers have to shovel excrement from a long drop toilet to a paddock," the opposition's education spokesman Tim Smith said.
This week, Middle Indigo Primary received a visit from the Coalition, which pledged that if it won the state election the school would get flushing toilets as part of a $116,000 makeover.
Middle Indigo was among dozens of schools that received welcome news this week, as the Andrews government and opposition zipped across the state promising education spending.
On Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews, Education Minister James Merlino and Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford visited Ballarat and announced $180.8 million in next month's budget to build, plan and upgrade 60 regional schools.
This includes money for the planning and construction of five new schools in some of Victoria's fastest growing regional communities. The state budget will contain funding to build a new Armstrong Creek West Primary School in the Geelong area and Lucas Primary School in Ballarat.
Early work will begin on the new Armstrong Creek Secondary College and planning will begin for Leneva Primary School in Wodonga East and an expansion of Miners Rest Primary School.
"We're building and upgrading schools so no matter where you live in Victoria, you have a great local school," Mr Andrews said.
"This is about giving regional kids the 21st century education they deserve – with the facilities to match."
Back in Melbourne, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and the Liberal candidate for Albert Park Andrew Bond pledged that if elected, the Coalition would spend $14 million building a new performing arts centre for Albert Park College.
The popular school now has 1300 students and the facility, which would be located within nearby Gasworks Park, would enable the school to accommodate an extra 350 students at its Dank Street campus.
"Never has there been a more important time to invest in public education, particularly in our inner-city areas," Mr Guy said on Friday.
"We are seeing population growth in Melbourne that is certainly much bigger than it has been in the past."
