Kooweerup Primary School principal Andrew Lucas and school council president Anna Begelhole with student Amber in the sick bay that doubles as a resource storage room. By Paul Dunlop
STUDENTS feeling unwell must compete for space with a photocopier and other office equipment at Kooweerup Primary School.
A sick bay that doubled as a resource storage room is just one of a litany of problems said to have been forced on the school by cramped and crowded conditions.
Staff and parents at Kooweerup have added their voice to calls for urgent upgrades at a number of schools in the Cardinia Shire area.
School council president Anna Begelhole said facilities provided for children at the school were “totally inadequate” and had been for years.
“Every one of our permanent classrooms is undersized,” she said.
“The portable classrooms are so old and tired that there is not one classroom in the school that provides an adequate learning area for the students. It’s just not good enough,” she said.
“Our sick bay doubles as a resource storage area and photocopy room meaning there is not even sufficient space to have a bed. It is located down the corridor from the office area and sick kids can be left in there with minimal supervision.
“At the very least, money needs to be spent on this part of the school.”
Mrs Begelhole said the main school building at Kooweerup was an old and tired timber construction in desperate need of replacement.
“There are so many other things the staff put up with. The administration area is so small and inadequate — no meeting room — and the assistant principal’s office is no more than a closet.”
Mrs Begelhole said the feeling around the school community was that it had been forgotten.
She said Kooweerup’s problems were even worse than those of Cardinia Primary School, whose asbestos-lined classrooms and cramped conditions were highlighted in the Gazette last month. Bass MP Ken Smith has labelled the state of local education facilities a disgrace, particularly in rural areas.
He said the situation was getting worse.
Mr Smith recently told State Parliament he had received complaints from schools and parents in towns including Cardinia, Bunyip, Kooweerup, Clyde, Nar Nar Goon and Garfield.
The Bass MP said the State Government appeared to have no concern for teachers or students.
“A large number of our schools have deteriorated to the stage of falling apart,” Mr Smith said. Kooweerup principal Andrew Lucas said the Department of Education and Training was aware of the state of the school’s facilities. He said the school was hopeful of having its concerns addressed very soon.
“Until then we will continue to provide a first-class education for the students despite the difficulties associated with the buildings,” Mr Lucas said.
A spokesman for Education Minister Lynne Kosky said the State Government was committed to rebuilding the education system.
But after “seven years of neglect” by the previous Liberal Government there was still a lot to do, the spokesman said.
“There are more than 1600 schools across Victoria. Any decisions around school capital are made on a priority basis – that is, those most in need are addressed first,” the spokesman said.
“Mr Smith is a hypocrite. If he cares so much about schools in his electorate, why didn’t he say anything about them while his party was in power?
“Instead he sat on his hands and watched on as the Liberal Party sacked teachers and forced the closure of country schools.”
