Page 1856 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2006
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Three or four years of policy neglect have forced this government to come rushing out into the community with a shock list of 39. Imagine the impact on the community; imagine the discourse and the unsettling nature that policy decision has had. Sure, if you need to argue the toss that some schools need to be closed, the opposition will support you, provided you go out there and consult the community first. You failed to do that.
The impact on the community of sudden school closures can be quite shocking. Let me quote from an email that I got today from a constituent of mine in Kambah. He talked about the closure of Village Creek primary perhaps and Kambah high school. This is, in fact, a cc copy of an email that he sent to the minister. He says:
I am a single parent of four children. Two currently attend Village Creek Primary and two attend Kambah High School. My children attend these schools as they are in the area as they are close for them to walk home after school. This is important to me as I am unable to collect them from school due to work commitments.
I understand the Government’s need to rationalise the use of the assets involved in providing public education due to the changing population demographics.
I highlight that sentence in his letter because I am talking here about a constituent who is quite reasonable of mind. He says that these decisions have to be made. He continues:
However, I consider that the government has provided inadequate change and people management in relation to this issue.
Dwell on that—“inadequate … people management”. He continues:
As a parent I need to know what the government is going to do in relation to the transition of my children to new schools in order to minimise the emotional, physical and other hardships that will result from such a decision.
I could go on for quite a deal more, but I will not. I guess he is saying that, if the school community had been approached first and had been advised that, due to a certain number of factors, that school was clearly under consideration, what the school community had to say and the concerns—
Mr Barr: That is exactly what I have just done.
MR PRATT: No. Before they see the 39 listed in the newspaper—
Mr Seselja: That is the consultation.
MR PRATT: That is right. If the department had already talked to schools and said, “We have got some problems here. We would prefer not to close but, if the facts are that we have to, this might come about. How do you feel? What are your problems?”—giving the parents, the P&C, the teachers and the community in general the opportunity to come forward with strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages of the impacts—that would have been consultation. At least you are letting the community down gently if you have to make that hard decision at the end of the entire process. But you have got it
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