Fighting for Equity in Education
//An action item for parent groups preparing their case against their school being closed is to do an estimate of the increased distance their children will have to walk to another school in the region and the additional costs incurred by bus or car travel to other schools. Continue reading “Estimate Distance and Cost to Attend New School”
//Before the 2004 ACT election, a spokesman for the then Minister for Education categorically ruled out closing any schools during the next term of government. He said:
“The Government will not be closing schools”. [Canberra Times, 12 August 2004, p.2]
Last year, the same spokesman said that the Government has no plans to close more schools in Canberra beyond Ginninderra District High School:
“There is no active consideration [of school closures] at the moment, it is not on the Government’s agenda.” [Canberra Times, 26 July 2005, p.1].
The following day the Minister for Education was reported as ruling out further school closures, with a spokeswoman for the Minister stating:
“There are no other plans on the agenda.” [Canberra Times, 27 July 2005, p.1].
On his first day as Education Minister, Andrew Barr scoffed at speculation that the ACT Government had plans to close 33 schools and denied the Government was looking at this many.
“I don’t think…that we need to go to 33.” [Canberra Times, 22 April 2006, p.1]
Just six weeks later he announced the Plan to close 39 schools.
Continue reading “Just for the Record – Other Broken Promises”//The list of broken promises by the Stanhope Government on school closures continues to grow. The latest is the Government’s reversal on selling off school sites.
The Minister for Education, Andrew Barr, told regional consultation meetings held in June that school sites would not be closed. For example, he gave a firm commitment to the South-East Belconnen regional meeting on 27 June that ‘there will be no land sales as a result of school closures’ (Canberra Times, 28 June 2006).
Now the Chief Minister has unilaterally broken this commitment. He told the Canberra Times (5 August, 2006) that the Government will likely sell unused school land for residential development and aged-care facilities.
So, the Government’s commitment not to sell school sites lasted only about 5 weeks.
Continue reading “School Sites to be Sold – Another Broken Promise”//The Government’s Towards 2020 Plan is in tatters and the process of consultation has become a shambles. The Government is ignoring its legal obligations to consider the full educational, financial and social impact of its Plan. Obfuscation and deceit has become the modus operandi of a Government under pressure. It is time for an independent public inquiry to clean up the mess.
Continue reading “The Case for an Independent Public Inquiry on School Closures”//Jon Stanhope’s ill-tempered attack on Jane Gorrie, President of P&C Council, has all the hall-marks of a government in crisis, says Save Our Schools Canberra. Continue reading “More Signs of Government in Crisis”
//The Education Minister, Andrew Barr, continues to deny important data to school communities. He has refused to provide detailed data on school costs and savings for each individual school proposed for closure or amalgamation. In effect, the Minister’s refusal and stated reasons for not supplying the data demonstrates that the Government’s school closure plan is based on incomplete and inadequate data.
Continue reading “Minister Refuses to Divulge Savings Figures”//Save Our Schools Canberra spokesperson, Dr Ian Morgan, said today votes taken at the ACT Conference of the ALP over the weekend showed that the Stanhope Government was in total disarray over school closures.
“A majority of the Government voted to delay the school closure program and against the arrogance of Chief Minister Stanhope and Education Minister Barr”, said Dr Morgan.
“Clearly, we have a Government and a party which are deeply divided on these issues, a Chief Minister who is out of touch, and a Minister who is out of his depth, out of control, and now, out of action.
Continue reading “Stanhope Government in Disarray”//The ALP Branch Conference held at the weekend has revealed a party and a Government that is deeply divided over the Towards 2020 school closure plan. The Conference vote against a moratorium on the Plan was only 100 to 96. The two previous Education Ministers, Simon Corbell and Katy Gallagher, voted for a moratorium as did some Government backbenchers.
This is a major division that threatens the future of the Government. The Chief Minister has his head in the sand if he thinks otherwise.
The division in ALP ranks has been created by the resistance and protest of school communities and parents across Canberra at the Government’s plan.
Continue reading “Labor is Divided On School Closures”//It is important that P&Cs and Save Our Schools committees continue to press their case to Labor members of the Legislative Assembly.
The key demand is to call for a moratorium on school closures and the establishment of an independent public inquiry on the school closure plan and the future of the neighbourhood school.
Things you can do are:
•Write or e-mail your local Member;
•Phone your local Member;
•Organise a delegation to meet with your local Member;
•Invite your local Member to meeting of parents at your school.
//The next key period in the battle against Towards 2020 is the two sitting weeks of the Legislative Assembly in mid-August (15 – 17 August, 22 – 24 August).
At this sitting the Budget Bills will be debated as will the ACT Greens’ Bill for a moratorium on school closures and a Liberal Party motion to establish an independent inquiry.
A public rally sponsored by the ACT Greens will be held outside the Assembly on Wednesday, 16 August at 1.00pm. Promote the rally in your community. Organise a contingent to attend. Bring your banners.