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 New school hall won't seat all students 

New school hall won't seat all students

25 Nov, 2009 09:30 AM
Parents of students attending Mount St Thomas Public School are angry their school is getting an "off-the-shelf" hall when private schools are building bigger and better halls for a fraction of the cost.

The biggest concern of the school's P&C is that their new $2.5 million hall will not be large enough to seat all students.

A Mercury investigation of progress across the region reveals site preparations have begun after the school was awarded $2.5 million for a new hall, canteen and covered outdoor learning area from the Federal Government's $14.7 billion Building the Education Revolution.

But P&C president Tracey Kirk-Downey is outraged that the new hall will not accommodate enough seats for all 320 students. The only way the entire school will fit in the hall is if students sit on the floor.

"This money comes along once in a blue moon and with $2.5 million we were hoping to get a hall that fits all of our children in on a chair," Ms Kirk-Downey said.

"It is unreasonable to expect children to sit through presentations and assemblies on their bottoms on the floor."

Ms Kirk-Downey said one private school had built a 1000-student hall for just $800,000 and Mount St Thomas could have achieved something similar if schools were given the power to decide how to spend their stimulus funding.

"Private schools are constructing purpose-built halls and facilities, while we are getting a standard Department of Education 'off-the-shelf' kit hall," Ms Kirk-Downey said.

"It works out to about $13,000 per square metre which we don't think is very good value."

Ms Kirk-Downey said she had written on behalf of the school community to NSW Minister for Education and Training Verity Firth, requesting she intervene to ensure the school receives a larger hall, instead of the proposed size.

Cunningham Labor MP Sharon Bird said she had conveyed the P&C's concerns to Ms Firth.

"It should be noted that whilst the Commonwealth Government is funding school projects, delivery of the projects are the responsibility of the NSW Government and managing contractor."

Gilmore Liberal MP Joanna Gash said individual P&Cs should have been given control of cash.

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Date: Newest first | Oldest first
oh no, kids need to sit on the floor? how is that unreasonable? we used to have to sit on hot concrete in the middle of summer with no cover... toughen up! and of course it cost 2.5million for a smaller hall, the way DET does their tender process is a joke, all tenderers know that they can double if not triple their construction cost and get away with it. Private schools would be much more strict and experienced with their tender processes. be happy you got a hall, or pay $5000 upwards per year to put your child in private education.
Posted by bob, 25/11/2009 9:36:34 AM
Why can't the children sit on the floor? We did when i was at school (primary school). I don't see the issue.
Posted by Peter S, 25/11/2009 10:03:13 AM
I swear that most of the time it is hard to tell who is the biggest brat, the child or their parents... I'm sure anyone over the age of 30 recalls sitting on the concrete at school with no long term trauma!
Posted by All_about_moi, 25/11/2009 10:32:58 AM
The issue is that if the P&C can get the school a better & more functional hall that accommodates all the children (seated) by correctly pointing out the inadequacies of the NSW Government process then surely they are acting in a refreshingly responsible manner that befits an organisation that is being given $2.5million taxpayer dollars. All schoolkids have sat on the floor at some stage (so that isnt anything to crow about), but when my tax dollars are being spent by a school I want them to be spent wisely & to provide the maximum possible benefit to the kids concerned.
Posted by Blue, 25/11/2009 10:35:44 AM
wouldn't the teachers prefer the kids to sit on the floor? Who will spend the time unstacking and stacking 350 chair each to you want to have assemblies etc? It would be interesting to know the teachers opinions, maybe they agree?
Posted by andrewp, 25/11/2009 10:43:17 AM
Oh come on! I sat on the floor for assemblies in primary school that was only 10 years ago! We also sat on the floor sometimes during presentations in High School, honestly these parents need a reality check.
Posted by Jess, 25/11/2009 10:46:37 AM
It's counter productive to compare a private school with a public one. Don't the parents of a private school pay high fees to cover such expenses. How can they expect the same quality when public schools pay minimal school fees. If it bothers them that much, then send your kids to a private school. You can't have it both ways!.
Posted by it happens, 25/11/2009 10:54:00 AM
You've got to realise that this is about providing "economic stimulus" that is, the Federal & State Governments doling out tax payer's money so that various interested parties can make a meal out of the $'s - its another version of a cash handout to targeted recipients that is being delivered a different way. Spend, spend, spend & grab, grab, grab for the lucky ones - its not about value for money.
Posted by Paul, 25/11/2009 10:58:29 AM
Perhaps they should have been allowed to have a consultation where these sorts of issues could have been taken into consideration ebfore money was being spent in a way the school considers unreasonable.. Sitting on the floor doesn't seem to be the big issue of this story- in time with the expanding population there will be larger class sizes and if the hall is already considered a bit small then even without chairs the students may not all fit in.
Posted by anon, 25/11/2009 10:58:58 AM
Surely the point of the arguement is that if you are going to to do it (build the hall) build it right the first time. Why not build it slightly bigger to allow for growth??? Yes I sat on the floor as well, but why do these kids have to. Have we not heard of progress. Gone are the chalk boards and in come the interactive whiteboards and while we are at it chairs to sit on in the hall !!!!!!
Posted by Jezza, 25/11/2009 12:20:05 PM
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Not big enough: Mount St Thomas P&C president Tracey Kirk-Downey with her daughters Claire, 12, and Lara, 8. Picture: GREG TOTMAN
Not big enough: Mount St Thomas P&C president Tracey Kirk-Downey with her daughters Claire, 12, and Lara, 8. Picture: GREG TOTMAN
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