The NSW Government recently announced the construction of a new primary school and high school on the Meadowbank TAFE site to “cater for the community’s growing number of families”.
However, this announcement is coupled with the closure of Marsden High School and Meadowbank Public School. The details further reveal that both public school sites will no longer remain in the hands of the public education system.
Acknowledging the NSW Government itself projects public school enrolment growth of 23 per cent over the next decade, this decision to cannibalise public school lands for the sake of another is evidence of poor planning.
Annual Conference 2018 recognised a pattern of poor planning in its decision “The school buildings and infrastructure all students deserve”:
“Successive state governments have engaged in the small-minded practice of selling off public schools and land. This has resulted in overcrowded public schools being added to the list of pressures on poorly planned and rapidly growing communities: road traffic, pedestrian safety, car parking, public transport, and noise and air pollution.”
The decision to close Meadowbank Public School and Marsden High School is just another from a state government willing to forgo public schools and land at the expense of adequate provision of public schooling to meet the needs of a growing population.
Therefore, Federation declares its opposition to the closure of Marsden High and Meadowbank Public.
In consultation with Federation, both public school communities are urged to engage in a community campaign to preserve public school land.
Senior Federation Officers will seek a meeting with the Minister for Education to raise this matter calling for both school sites to remain in the hands of the public education system to meet growing student enrolments.
Henry Rajendra, Senior Vice President