14 June 2006

Libs say they wouldn't close schools

| Kerces
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ACT Opposition Leader Bill Stefaniak and his education spokesperson Vicki Dunne said they would oppose the Government’s proposed school closures.

Mrs Dunne told The Canberra Times she thought the Government had not adequately explained why some schools would be closed and not others. She also said the estimated savings from closures would not justify the damage and upheaval cause by the policy because they would only be 2 per cent of the education budget.

Mr Stefaniak conceeded some school closures are needed at times, but described the scale of planned closures as “draconian”.

The Liberals also oppose the moves to change the age structure of schools — such as adding Years 5 and 6 to high schools — saying that these changes were “experimental and unproved”.

The ABC reports education minister Andrew Barr has said the Government will not be swayed by one-off protests such as the walkout by Kambah High students this morning.

“I recognise that that involves some difficult transitions and difficult issues for some school communities to deal with,” he said. “But in the end the Government’s intent is to ensure that we have the strongest possible public education system.”

He also said that special needs units at schools slated for closure, such as the autism one at Rivett Primary, will be reopened at other schools in the the area.

Mr Barr has set up public meetings over the next few weeks to discuss the proposed school closures. All meetings will run from 7-8.30pm. The details are:
* Monday June 19 at Amaroo School for the Gungahlin region
* Tuesday June 20 at the Phillip campus of Canberra College for the Woden region
* Wednesday June 21 at Stromlo High for the Weston Creek region
* Monday June 26 at Copland College for the north-west Belconnen region
* Tuesday June 27 at Canberra High for the south-east Belconnen region
* Wednesday June 28 at Telopea Park School for the South Canberra region
* Thursday June 29 at Caroline Chisholm High for Tuggeranong
* Monday July 3 at Campbell Primary for the North Canberra region

(Interesting to note none of these venues are schools included in the closure lists).

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I was making a guess based on my own educational history – the occasional really dumb protesting idea was generally generated by teachers. So I apologise – obviously the students were dumb enough to think of this idea all on their ownsome.

nyssa’s got a point. the teachers didnt have anything to do with the protest at all. it was all organised by 5 students…

and apparently if the teachers did participate, they would of got fired or something. so they had to supervise about 15 students who didnt protest..

Why should we open schools just for NSW residents?

simto, how do you know that it was the teachers that told the students to do that?

The teachers would have been at the school regardless as they still had a duty of care to supervise any student that didn’t participate.

Well, you got some media exposure. Which means … well, possibly not very much. Although you might end up on the cover of the Tele if you’re particularly lucky.

Screaming and shouting and freezing your bollocks off is really obviously not going to help you (well, on the plus side, you might develop a severe enough form of pnemonia not to require further education, therefore not caring which school you end up going to).

You need to develop an independent mind, and not just go for any stupid stunt just because your teachers think it’s a good idea. Some things are a waste of time, while some things actually stand a chance of changing things.

oh my fucking god.

Are you telling me that me and all the rest of kambah high walked out in the freezing cold (it was about -1 degrees for a while) for nothing?

Thanks alot barr, you fucktard!!

What rot. Some schools in the ACT are simply not financially visble. The decision to shut these schools was a simple matter of economics. If the business isnt making money, or achieving the desired outcomes, restructure it.

We wouldn’t be a hooting and a hollering if for example, the ACt govt decided to sell off Canberra Stadium as it was shit and a blckhole for funds. WE would be patting the government of the day on the back. This proposal enables the education system in the ACT a chance to remodel itself, have a look at where it has failed in the past and ensure that steps are taken to rectify this. For years the residents in Gunners had to travel 20-odd minutes to get to a school. Get over it, you have had your chance with the GDE, noe the schools are on your agenda my NIMBY friends. Pull your head in and have a whinge about a real issue. Want to improve the area in which you live? How about setting up a soup kitchen to help the disadvantaged in the ACT? Your heating costs will be marginal due to the hot air and bluster that constantly emminates from your surprising small and dull mouths.

Absent Diane11:09 am 14 Jun 06

Bullshit…. they would close as many if not more…

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