Wade High School Principal Kim Dixon said she warned Education Minister and Member for Murray Adrian Piccoli he ‘may get lynched’ at Monday night’s meeting about the future of secondary education in Griffith.
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There was an undercurrent of panic inside the hall on the prospect of Wade High School losing its identity, and sentiment suggesting there was little faith in the current community consultation process.
The main concern raised on the night and asked upwards of three times, was why the $25 million could not be split between the schools with President of Wade High School P&C David Robinson saying he was concerned the option had already been dismissed.
Mr Piccoli said he could not in his own conscience make that offer. “It is not going to happen,” he said. “I have a responsibility as Minister for Education to all public schools to spend this money as effectively as I can...we need to invest it.”
He said $10 million was still a significant investment of funds for Griffith and remained firm in his resolve there was ‘not a no change option’ because educational results for Griffith students needs to be changed.
Kevin Farrell was unsatisfied, reiterating his argument that big schools ‘don’t cut the mustard’ and lacked studies to support the idea they produced better student outcomes.
Mr Piccoli agreed with Mr Farrell and said the lack of evidence was the very reason the two options had been put forward. “If the evidence was conclusive we would just do it,” he said.
The lack of information provided to support both options presented a ‘Catch 22’ for Mr Piccoli who said the department has made the funding announcement in broad terms so the community could ‘actually have a discussion’.
Mother Sharon De Valentin expressed her dissent with the proposal, saying her own children had done well at Wade High. “Buildings don’t make great schools, teachers do,” she said asking for qualified teachers in front of every class engaging students.
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