Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison has echoed the findings of a report into the closure of public schools calling on the government to become more responsive to community needs.
The Upper House Select Committee on the Closure of Public Schools in NSW has unanimously called on Education Minister Adrian Piccoli to act with “honesty and good faith towards parents when consulting, deciding and implementing a school closure.”
Three of the key recommendations that received unanimous support and are expected to receive government support are:
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A specific recommendation that the Martins Creek School be kept open.
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That the government must genuinely consult with the community on school closures
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Small schools are a valuable and important resource in regional areas.
“I was greatly concerned to learn that in 2014, the Government closed 20 schools, and is planning to sell off 11 campuses, “Ms Aitchison says. “This sell-off means that future growth in those towns will be hampered by no longer having a school facility.”
“While Martins Creek Public School is not in my electorate, I am aware of the campaign the school community has been running on this issue, and it is important that the school has been able to remain open.”
“I am also glad that the appalling treatment received by concerned Martins Creek parents and those at the now-closed Wollombi school has triggered a call by the report’s authors for an independent audit of the Department of Education’s handling of those complaints.”
The report is now available on the internet at:
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/694d319af34e177eca257ee5
