- Home
- Hansard & Papers
- Legislative Assembly
- 28 February 2001
Melville High School Funding
Printing Tips |
Print selected text
| Full Day Hansard Transcript
« Prior Item |
Item 35 of 79
| Next Item »
About this Item
Speakers - Stoner Mr Andrew
Business - Private Members Statements
|
Page: 12086
Mr STONER (Oxley) [5.46 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of the House the withdrawal of funding for Melville High School, which is located at South Kempsey, an area with one of the State's largest Aboriginal populations. The area suffers massive social disadvantage: the rate of unemployment approaches 20 per cent; 11 per cent of families are sole parent families; and almost 40 per cent of families are low-income families. The area also has high rates of crime and truancy and low school retention rates. Melville High School has 960 students; 90 are Aboriginal, and 35 are students with disabilities. During the past five years the school has done an excellent job utilising funding from the disadvantaged schools program. It has been successful in keeping students at school and providing opportunities and hope for the most disadvantaged in society.
In November last year Melville High School was notified that it was to lose its disadvantaged schools program funding, which is now known as priority schools program funding. There was a massive outcry by the parents and citizens association, teachers and the community at the loss of $95,000 and 4.6 teaching positions for at least the next four years. All public schools surrounding Melville High School received priority schools program funding. Therefore, my view is that the survey that was undertaken was obviously flawed, a view shared by the parents and services association and teachers at Melville High School. Unlike some schools, Melville High School did not help parents to complete the survey form. In an article in the Macleay Argus dated 27 February Mr Phillip Harvey, a spokesman for the parents and citizens association, was quoted as saying:
We have shown the department that the survey results were flawed and provided data that demonstrated Kempsey and SWR [South West Rocks] were among the most disadvantaged communities in NSW, if not Australia.
Many in the community wrote to the Minister for Education and Training about this obvious inequity and injustice. They even developed their own postcard, "Melville High School needs your help", which they sent to the Minister. I wrote to the Minister on a number of occasions: on 10 November 2000, 14 November 2000 and 18 December 2000, but thus far I have only received an acknowledgment of the most recent letter. Parents and teachers protested outside the Cabinet meeting in Kempsey on 20 November and, unable to avoid the protesters, the Minister spoke to them. However, basically he snowed them, telling them that he would find out if funding could be found from another source. In the same article was also quoted as saying:
He also promised to personally ensure the matter was followed through but to date we have heard nothing from Mr Aquilina or Premier Bob Carr, despite numerous letters.
The parents and teachers were fobbed off. They heard nothing more until last week, when I arranged for the District Superintendent of Education to meet with the parents and teachers in my office. He told them that he could supplement the school with 2.3 staff and around $21,000 in funding for this year only. That is a long way short of the lost $95,000 and 4.6 staff. The Minister led these people to believe that he would correct this injustice. However, he has remained true to form—aloof, arrogant and remote from the people he should support. To this point his inaction and cynical manipulation of the parents and teachers has given credibility to a rhyme I have heard on more than one occasion: Nothing could be meaner than Johnny Aquilina. I do not expect a response to this statement. The Minister does not usually respond to me or to letters from my constituents. However, if no better effort is made than that made by the District Superintendent of Education, one can be sure the Labor Party will lose a lot of votes right across the mid North Coast. I will conclude by quoting again from the Macleay Argus of 27 February:
The impact of this discussion goes beyond the school. Education is critical to breaking the cycle of disadvantage and unless we can persuade the State Labor Government to provide needed assistance what we will see is increased school drop out rates, increased juvenile justice issues and the costs will be high, both socially and financially, to the community.
Last modified 05/12/2007 16:38:11 : Update this page