Page 720 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 24 March 1993
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The decline in student numbers at Griffith was an extraordinary and exceptional example of a tragic situation which had been steadily developing over some time. The enrolments at Griffith Primary School had been healthy at around 200 in 1990, but progressively and steadily declined over a number of months to the point where the number was 34 prior to the closure of the school, as Mr Cornwell has also referred to. I reiterate that these were extraordinary circumstances and that no-one could have realistically expected or predicted that enrolments would decline to such a degree.
At the time I made the call on the Minister to intervene at Griffith Primary School I was aware of the extensive work that had been done by the Griffith-Narrabundah community in completing the Griffith-Narrabundah review on 3 August 1992. The signatories to the review are four well-known Canberra women: Sue Murphy, the chairperson of the Griffith-Narrabundah School Board; Joan Kellett, representing the ACT Council of P and C Associations; Margaret Hird, vice-president of the Australian Teachers Union, ACT Branch; and Cheryl O'Connor, executive director of the ACT Department of Education and Training. The review was comprehensive, comprising some 41 recommendations. Of the recommendations which requested the expenditure of government moneys to support the school, the Government supported the majority of them. So what went wrong? It is clear that the work which was done was insufficient in maintaining or enhancing the confidence that the local community had in Griffith Primary School. With 34 students it was obvious at the time that the only reasonable decision the Government could have taken was to close the school. No-one considers this situation to be more tragic than I do - tragic for the remaining students, their parents, the teachers, the Department of Education and the Canberra community generally.
What can we learn from the experience of the closure of Griffith Primary School? We know that in circumstances such as these the well-being of the students and their families must come first. At this time the decision has been taken to close the school. However, the Minister has indicated that he will consider reopening the school if at all possible later in the year. Thus far, neither the P and C Council nor the ACT branch of the Teachers Union has supported this move. However, I would contend that, as extraordinary circumstances prevailed leading to the closure of the school, changes in circumstances may yet enable the school to reopen. The confidence of the local school community will need to be enhanced if reopening is to be at all possible. With dedication and commitment the school could reopen; but, perhaps understandably, students and parents may wish to get on with their lives.
In such situations as the decline in enrolments at Griffith, closure needs to be considered as an option and not backed away from as an unthinkable alternative whatever the circumstances. If closure is the best option for the remaining students and the local community, then the closure option must be taken. We cannot close our eyes and not contemplate school closures under any circumstances. Neither can we refer to euphemisms about school closures, if that is what we are talking about. All that occurs in these situations is an avoidance of coming to terms with the issue. Madam Speaker, I will not be supporting Mr Cornwell's motion, because I believe that the Government's policy regarding school closures is basically right. However, I commend Mr Cornwell for raising the issue. What is needed now and will continue to be needed for some time is an answer to the question I posed earlier, and that is: What number of students constitutes a viable school community?
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