More than three months after an information session in June about the controversial school merger of Griffith High School and Wade High School was held, the NSW Education Department still has no new information for teachers and parents, according to one concerned Griffith-based staff member.
The Area News approached the department for an update about the merger after a concerned staff member reached out to ask for more information on basic logistics like how students will move between the schools, learning support, merging faculties and staff restructuring.
Their response: to direct questions to the frequently asked questions page made available in June, answers the source suggest are “general and don’t really address any internal issues.”
This concerned staff member, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of job security repercussions, said teachers are being forced to attend “box-ticking pseudo consultation” meetings but are still being left in the dark about the logistical and restructuring processes.
Member for Murray and former Education Minister Adrian Piccoli says the advisory board is still in the process of working out how staff restructuring will look.
“There will be a new principal appointed in Term 4, so that new principal will have a lot of say about what the structure looks like and how the school will operate,” Mr Piccoli said.
The Department of Education, in its proposed transition timeline, has said “from June through to September the working groups will participate in meetings to shape and inform the development of the new school.
“Recently there have been workshops for principals, executive, teaching and non-teaching staff as well as meetings with parents, the P&Cs at both sites and students through their SRC representatives,” a department response said.
“There has been a consistent and strong message ...”
In the mean time, it is clear that people are wanting answers now.
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"If restructuring is the key to improving student outcomes, then surely this should be outlined and shared with staff,” the inside source said.
Mr Piccoli was adamant people will start to see things in a positive light.
“People need to broaden their minds as to what the potential is, we have heaps of flexibility to design the school around the students,” Mr Piccoli said.
“It’s not about the grown ups, its not about the adults, it’s about the students ... and what we have to do to improve student’s academic results, health and well-being.”
