The first is a candlit vigil on Wednesday 30 May 2001 at 4.30pm on the Domain side of Parliament House in Sydney. The vigil has been organised by teachers and parents to protest the State Government's "Building the Future" plan. This plan rationalises and reorganises public education in the inner city of Sydney and surrounding areas primarily on the basis of property values. It leaves privates schools standing where there is no local public provision. The plan would see the closure of three primary schools with enrolments from 33 to 97 students. It will also see five high schools close.

Please support the vigil. Public schools need to be funded, not closed.

The second event is the Launch of an Independent Review into the Organisation of Public Education on Wednesday 13 June 2001 at 9.00am. The Launch will be via a Sky Channel broadcast to meetings of community, parent and teacher delegates.

Parents and teachers have called for the State Government to conduct such a review before engaging in the reorganisation and restructuring of the public education system. Instead the Government prefers to engage in a process of piecemeal reorganisation in different areas of the state.

The Independent Review will look system -wide so that change is evaluated within an open, public policy framework. The Review team will tour the state to hear submissions from local communities before making recommendations. It is important that every school be represented at the delegates' meetings.

Thank you for phoning the Schools Hotline. You are reminded that your support of Federation policy is in the best interests of public education.