Parents of Hanwood Public School students Eleisha Collins, Michael Fletcher, Luke Condon, Janelle Laird, Melissa Agresta, Kellyanne Humphreys, Michelle Johanson, Erin Bonetti, Vicki Monteleone and Amy Dissenga oppose plans to remove the classrooms. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Hanwood Public School is set to keep four out of five demountable classrooms that the NSW Government was poised to take away, after parents campaigned against the decision.
At the end of Term 2, the school was told the classrooms – erected 14 years ago – would be removed from the school, raising huge concerns over where else the lessons they were used for could be taught.
At present, the rooms are occupied daily for a Year 3/4 class, Italian lessons, before and after school childcare, special needs lessons and as a breakfast room.
But the NSW Department of Education received a flood of complaint letters from parents and later had a change of heart.
“After consultation with the school community, a decision has been made to remove one demountable, which will free up valuable green space, while the remaining four will be retained,” a department spokesman told Region.
“Hanwood Public School has sufficient permanent classroom capacity to cater for all students enrolled at the school.”
Hanwood students are also happy about the final outcome. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Hanwood P&C President Eleisha Collins applauded the final decision.
“It’s such a positive outcome for our community; we are very fortunate and it shows what can be achieved when we stand together,” she said.
“The original decision may have been made in haste; I don’t think they realise the impact decisions made in Sydney have on rural communities, but it’s a super positive outcome.
“We still have a bit to work out with one classroom going, but losing one rather than five is a much lesser impact.”
The department said it was consulting with the principal to determine which demountable would be removed. Once this is agreed on, it will notify the community about this work.
NSW Teachers Federation representative Bert Bertalli also opposed the removal of the demountables, but said his main priority was pressuring the government to construct real buildings in which children could learn.
“Demountables are a blight on public schools; they only use them so they can take them away when they cut funding,” he said.
“It’s outrageous that private schools have these big, beautiful buildings with swimming pools and we get these ugly, old temporary facilities. Hanwood School is full of them and has had them for 15 years; it’s unacceptable.”
