|
|
Print this Article
HOLBROOK SCHOOL AN EXAMPLE OF EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG WITH JULIA GILLARD’S “EDUCATION REVOLUTION”
13-April-2010
Sussan Ley is calling on P & C Associations, parents and school principals to contact her with any concerns they have about projects being built under Julia Gillard’s Building the Education Revolution program.
“I have been contacted by many schools since the funding was allocated; but a call from parents at Holbrook Public School last week has reinforced the need for immediate action with respect to these projects before they are finished and schools end up with a white elephant instead of a 21st century building .” Ms Ley said.
“I have written to Julia Gillard regarding Holbrook Public School and asked her to carry out an urgent review of this project, as it is obvious that a one-size-fits-all school hall is certainly not appropriate to the school’s current and future needs. There was little to no consultation with this school prior to the project starting.”
“As the building is now nearing completion and the concerns of the school community have been ignored throughout the project, the Minister must act immediately to ensure the ongoing best use of taxpayers funds.” She said
Ms Ley said that what she finds particularly distressing about the Holbrook Public school example is that nowhere in the $2 million project is there the money for air-conditioning.
“We all remember 2006, when the students were so hot that teachers were taking them outside during breaks and hosing them to cool down! The NSW Dept of Education say that the school is not in what is classified using an old classification system as a ‘climatic hot zone’, so air-conditioning is not needed!
“ For children who have to travel up to an hour to and from school in 37 plus degrees, this is untenable and not conducive to a good learning environment”. Ms Ley said.
“Julia Gillard should overturn this decision not to provide air conditioning at the very least and ensure that the priorities as determined by the school are being met with this kind of expenditure”.
“Julia Gillard essentially accused me of misrepresenting the facts about schools in my electorate when I asked her questions in Parliament; and now she has established a $14 million taskforce to carry out an audit. All she had to do was listen to what was being said by the principals, the school associations and the wider community months ago and maybe schools would have got what they needed not what she determined they should have”.
Ms Ley said that even though the inquiry was too little too late it was important for all school’s not happy with their projects to speak up now and try to get a better deal.