Following feedback from parents after demountable were replaced at Cambewarra Public School due to mould and safety concerns, Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward asked the Minister for Education and Early Learning a Question on Notice in order to raise serious questions about education infrastructure.
Mr Ward has said the Minister’s answer is unacceptable due to being totally devoid of detail.
Mr Ward asked the following question
With reference to all public preschools, primary and secondary schools in the Kiama electorate:
(1) What are the current waiting lists for each school?
(2) Which schools are at maximum capacity, and which are not?
(3) When were school boundaries last reviewed?
(4) Will you permit underutilised schools to take on additional enrolments to help ease pressure on schools that are at maximum capacity?
(a) If not, why not?
RESPONSE: All NSW government school intake areas are regularly monitored and reviewed by the Department of Education as populations and enrolment trends change over time. The department provides a place in a public primary school and public high school for every local student seeking to enrol, in line with its enrolment policy.
“This Minister is either arrogant or out of her depth. I’m permitted nine questions each sitting week, and these are important questions, which the community ask me to present. Ministers aren’t monarchs but it seems this Minister feels she doesn’t need to provide sufficient detail in response to very reasonable questions,” said Mr Ward.
“All this answer tells me is that this Minister for Education isn’t up to the job because she’d rather play politics than answer sensible questions.
“We have thousands of new homes slated for the Shoalhaven and Shellharbour areas in particular but infrastructure, including schools, needs to come alongside growth. Why won’t the government come clean with data we know they have?
“Having pressured the Department of Education into finally including the Bomaderry High School upgrade in its State Budget, I’ve asked the government questions on what schools they are fast-tracking, with similar dismissive answers. I’ve used Parliament to introduce a motion calling for major upgrades for Cambewarra school and to address the increase in housing in the northern Shoalhaven. I’ve voiced my concerns about the loss of opportunity classes for students in Nowra and the Shoalhaven.
“Whilst this government talks a big game on housing and education, they can’t even answer the most basic questions and that says it all about this Minister and this government,” Mr Ward concluded.