6 year old and his dad fight for school
From the Daily Telegraph
WHEN six-year-old Gus Haddad learned Jon Stanhope would close Tharwa Primary School next week, he was devastated and turned to his dad, asking what they could do.
His faith in the public education system shot to bits, Karim Haddad refused to send his children to another school - and suggested they open their own.
Mr Haddad, 36, began setting up meetings with the ACT Government to try and start a new school.
Tharwa Primary was one of 23 schools Mr Stanhope announced would close before the end of the decade in an effort to plug the widening budget black hole by saving $23 million.
Established in 1899, the little country school - which takes preschoolers to Year 6 students - has only 25 enrolments this year.
The small size contributed to the school closing, with the Government saying it could not afford to keep schools like Tharwa open.
Tharwa, on Canberra’s outskirts, is slowly being ostracised from civilisation as the bridge into town was closed and now the school is getting the axe.
But with the help of sponsorship dollars from local clubs, Mr Haddad wants to rent Tharwa Primary and go into partnership with independent school Blue Gum to build Tharwa Community School.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Andrew Barr said yesterday Mr Haddad would first have to get Department of Education accreditation to open a school.