Children with disabilities from Queanbeyan and the surrounding NSW region will no longer need to travel to Canberra to attend specialist schools, as plans are currently under way for a new special needs school in Queanbeyan, due for completion in 2020.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro and Minister for Education Rob Stokes have unveiled the site of the new school in Queanbeyan and announced work has started on concept designs for the new facility.
Ms Berejiklian said the school, which will be located adjacent to Karabar High School, is scheduled for completion by mid-2020 and a project team has been appointed to progress the designs and deliver the project.
“This school will help local families who are in need of a school which caters to their children’s specific circumstances and I am thrilled that the NSW Government is able to deliver that,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Mr Barilaro said the new school for specific purposes was a great win for the local community and Queanbeyan was getting the education facilities it deserved.
“This new facility will deliver a top-quality learning environment for kids that need specialised support,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Every child, no matter their circumstances, deserves an educational experience that sees them grow, learn, and have fun. Funding for this school, together with the other new and upgraded schools we are delivering in the Monaro, shows our community is getting the education facilities it deserves.”
Mr Stokes said the new school for specific purposes was part of the NSW Government’s historic investment in a school building program that is delivering new and upgraded schools for communities right across NSW.
Other school building projects being delivered in the Monaro include upgrades to Braidwood Central School, Jindabyne Central School, Karabar High School, Monaro High School, Queanbeyan East Public School, and Queanbeyan High School. Work is also under way on the new Finigan School of Distance Education.
“We are getting on with the job of delivering top-quality facilities to help all NSW students, regardless of their educational needs, to meet their full potential,” Mr Stokes said.
The new facility is being delivered as part of the NSW Government’s record $6 billion school building program over the next four years which will provide more than 170 new and upgraded schools to support communities throughout NSW.