Communities rally against school rationalisation

By Maree O'Halloran

Less than one week after Public Education Day, the State Government has released a "draft proposal" to rationalise inner city schools.

The proposal is underpinned more by property values and asset sales than an educational vision.

Instead of a comprehensive, expansionist plan for public education, the Government's draft proposal for the inner city continues the piecemeal restructuring process of the past.

For many years school communities in the inner city have faced the constant threat of restructuring or closure. The State Government appears to have banked on the school communities being demoralised. However, school communities have rallied with strength and vigour post the announcement.

Parents, students, teachers and community members have begun active campaigns to oppose the school closures, expose the weaknesses of the draft proposal and demand genuine consultation before decisions are implemented.

The atmosphere at the 1000 strong community meeting at Marrickville school hall on Thursday March 29, 2001 was akin to a bushfire. The State Government has set alight the smouldering community anger about the chronic under-funding of public education and the proliferation of private schools. By the next morning media reports indicated that there may be a change of heart about Marrickville.

Major community events and meetings with politicians have already been held for Maroubra, Dulwich Hill, Cleveland Street, Hunters Hill, Glebe, Balmain and Leichhardt. School communities are currently considering alternate and better proposals to put to the Government than what has been planned for their schools.

Federation Council on March 20 resolved to "actively support those staffs and school communities which resist attempts to impose closures, forced amalgamations or other rearrangements unacceptable to the school community".

The announcement of the inner city draft proposal also proclaimed the beginning of a new era for this arrogant State Government: the era of "non-negotiable consultation".

The Minister wrote in the Daily Telegraph on March 2: "The plan is in draft form and I urge all members of the public to come forward and have their say on the future of their local school." Despite that comment and after taking great pains to announce the proposal was a draft, the Minister was also quoted in the Daily Telegraph as saying: "The closures are not negotiable...those schools are either dead or dying."

"Dead or dying". Where is the affirmation of public education? Where is the acknowledgment of quality education under difficult conditions? Written assurances must be given regarding transparent and genuine consultation over a longer timeframe.

The frightening effect of the inner city proposal is apparent from the Minister's news release on March 23:

"No closures planned for country schools
"The State Opposition claims there is a 'secret plan' to close country and regional schools as a result of the Inner Sydney Schools Strategy.
"There are no plans to close any regional or country schools.
"The State Government's Inner Sydney Schools Strategy relates to schools in the inner east and inner west of Sydney.
"It has no effect on any schools anywhere else in NSW."

The reason for such a news release - the closure of small primary schools as well as small secondary schools in the city had made small and successful schools in country areas fearful they too would face closure.

Size doesn't seem to matter in private schools. The State Government funds at least nine private schools in the inner city with less than 400 secondary students.

Plan

1. an optimistic and expansionist future for quality public education
2. the value of successful comprehensive high schools and small primary schools
3. a rejection of the view that because a school is "small" it is incapable of providing high quality education
4. equality of opportunity and learning outcomes for all students.
This plan will require the injection of additional Government funds and the maintenance of assets for the community. Investment must be made in public pre-schools and current state-wide staffing levels and infrastructure amenities at 2001 levels must be the minimum basis of negotiations.

The Government's proposal flounders on policy failures of the past.

Federation notes the refurbishment of schools, the provision of more alternate placements for 'at-risk' students and the introduction of more selective caps in schools in the Government's proposal. The latter is an implicit, if misguided, recognition that comprehensivity is important.

The refurbishment of schools and the provision of more "at-risk" placements is welcome but should not come at the expense of closing schools.

The State Government has squandered an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to public education. Underlying the plan was a "divide and conquer" tactic - some schools benefit at the expense of others. That tactic must be resisted with the community groups joining together. As was explained in the previous edition of Education On-line, this issue is a state-wide one.

Maree O'Halloran is the Senior Vice President.

State-wide action needed

For further information

April 2001 contents