Save Tharwa School

Wednesday 13th September, 9.30 am - 3.30 pm

You are invited with your children to visit Tharwa for its Primary School Open Day on Wed 13th September.

Kids activites for the day will be facilitated by a local Indigenous educator, and visitors are invited to experience the school’s unique multi-age classrooms in action, in it’s setting of environmental and heritage significance.

Morning tea will be provided, and visitors are encouraged to chat with school staff and parents for their views on the educational, social and physical environment.

Tharwa Primary is open for enrolments both for present and next year.

Enquiries can be directed to the Principal, Mary Hutchinson on 6205 7244.

To learn more about Tharwa Primary School, please see the attached press release or visit:
http://www.tharwaps.act.edu.au/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tharwa_Primary_School

Students, Teachers and Parents at Tharwa Primary School look forward to welcoming visitors at the school’s Open Day next Wednesday, 13th of September.

The day will be the perfect chance to show off ‘the best little school in Canberra’ and will offer prospective students and their families the chance to see the school in action, speak with Teachers and staff, and meet the wider school community over a friendly morning tea. Activities will be facilitated by a local Indigenous Educator, in keeping with the school’s strong connection to local Indigenous and European history and the classes’ current study area of Indigenous culture.

For a positive, real life story read the account of “The boy who came to Open Day and never left!”

As a small school, Tharwa is able to offer a complete learning experience within a nurturing community environment. The school is ideally situated in the rural village of Tharwa and the smaller class sizes enjoy focussed attention from teachers as well as world renowned educational methods as part of the Lanyon Cluster group of schools. Despite listing the school for closure at the end of this year, the government has encouraged future enrolments and is considering what Education Minister Andrew Barr calls “exciting plans for Tharwa”.

The Save Tharwa School community group feel that the school offers a wealth of opportunity to future students who don’t fit the model of a larger, less personal school or who value Tharwa’s enviable location just outside of Canberra’s suburbs.

The focus of the campaign is firmly on the submission. A draft is being prepared on behalf of the Tharwa Pre School and Primary School P&C Committees, School Board and Tharwa community. This draft and will be available for downloading from the Save Tharwa School web-site by mid- September. If you would like to comment on the draft, please do so by the end of September by emailing Emily Haesler at emily@savetharwaschool.com or leaving a message with Mary at the school if you need a hard copy. We hope to submit by early October.

Please note: ANYONE can make a submission to the Government before November 2006 regarding their view on the proposed closures of schools in ACT. Please visit the DET website for more details: http://activated.act.edu.au/2020/feedback.aspx

Jackie Neill
for Communications Group

Minister for Education Andrew Barr visit to Tharwa Preschool and Primary School on 29th August was a ‘success’ from our campaign’s point of view. He was very well received by the school staff and students and by about 15 community members including parents. He stayed for about 1 ½ hours, toured the classrooms and had discussions with teachers and saw the
students in action. He then had what appeared to be a very pleasant morning tea with community members before facing the WIN news team-some of you may have seen the report on TV that night.

A huge thanks to all the staff and parents at Tharwa School who did a sterling job of presenting the school in all its glory. There were many people involved in the clean up job that ensured the school grounds were spruced up for the occasion- in particular thanks go to Kerry who came in on the weekend and stayed after school several days to put in an extra effort, and Leesa who did a back breaking job(literally) of weeding and pruning on the weekend. There were many other people who lent a hand and made it all happen, so thanks, even though I can’t name you all.

Overall, there seems to have been very positive rumours around that Andrew was enthralled by Tharwa School and noticeably surprised at the equality of opportunity given to the students at a small school when compared to those at a large school. Let us say that his ‘fears’ were eased and his eyebrows raised, and the kids even said “ When the Prime Minister came to our class, he had a big smile on his face; we think this means he’s going to let the school stay open !”

P&C Council is convening a hands-on workshop to help P&Cs, school communities and individuals to write their submissions to the ACT Government on the Towards 2020 proposal. It will be held on:

Saturday 23 September 2006
1.00-4.00pm
venue to be advised

The workshop will cover questions like “what makes a good submission?” and “how do you construct effective arguments?” The workshop will be facilitated by expert consultants
Jane Goffman and Susan Abbott.

RSVP Monday 18 September - Council Office 6241 5759 or on email at parents@canberra.net.au.

The Save Our Schools group today called for a public inquiry to investigate the financial and social impact of the Towards 2020 Plan to close 39 schools. SOS spokesperson, Trevor Cobbold, said that an inquiry is needed because the consultation process has failed to address key issues required by legislation and has now become a farce.

“The Government is ignoring its legal obligations under the Education Act to consider the full educational, financial and social impact of its Plan. An independent public inquiry is needed to do the job that the Government is failing to do.

“It is now half way through the consultation period and the Department of Education still has not undertaken any surveys to collect information on the financial and social impact of school closures on families and school communities. School communities have not been given any guidance by the Department of Education on what matters will be considered.

“The Minister for Education says that the financial and social impact will be considered in the assessment of submissions on Towards 2020, but he has failed to set up a process to collect the necessary information. He has even refused a request from the Estimates Committee of the Legislative Assembly to state what factors will be taken into account in the impact assessment.

“Just last week, the Minister also rejected requests for an independent assessment of submissions on Towards 2020.

“The absence of a process for systematically collecting information on the impact of school closures together with an in-house review of submissions means that no school community can be confident that the financial and social impact will be fully considered.”

Mr. Cobbold said that while motions to extend the consultation and to establish an inquiry into the whole ACT education system were voted down along party lines in the Assembly last week the need for an independent inquiry on Towards 2020 remains.

“An independent inquiry is also needed to ensure that accurate information is used to assess the proposed closures. The Government has provided incorrect and misleading information to school communities. Many of the Government’s figures on school capacity and costs have been shown to be incorrect; it has massively and deceptively over-stated the costs of small schools; it has selectively and falsely cited the research on small schools.

“Clearly, the Government cannot be trusted to provide accurate information to the Canberra community.

“The Government’s savings figures are also over-estimated. Only recently, the Minister for Education has been forced to admit that school closures will incur several additional costs which have not been offset against the savings estimates. These additional costs include:
Duplication of special education facilities in other schools;
Purchase of new demountable classrooms and/or the transfer and installation of existing demountables;
Refurbishment works in schools that will receive additional students; and
Ongoing maintenance and security costs for vacant buildings.

“The Minister has also refused to provide detailed savings and cost information requested by school communities and the Estimates Committee.

“It is time for an independent public inquiry to clean up the mess and to assure the public of a proper process with full information. The inquiry should be set up to do a full cost-benefit analysis of the Towards 2020 Plan. This means investigating and reporting on the financial, educational and social costs and benefits of the Plan for students, their families and the broader community as required under the Education Act.

“SOS Canberra calls on Assembly members to set up an independent public inquiry into the impact of Towards 2020 at the next sitting of the Assembly. Assembly members, particularly the ALP backbenchers, need to ensure that legislative requirements are met and that school submissions are properly and fairly considered.”

1PM OUTSIDE THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

This rally is vitally important – show Labor MLAs that the Greens Bill has the support of the community!!

On 16th August the Greens will present a proposed amendment to the Education Act that will ensure that no schools are closed without adequate time for community consultation and without debate about each specific school within the legislative assembly. To be passed this Bill will need the support of at least one Labor MLA. The Labor Party are already divided on this issue – please come along and give a huge show of community support for this Bill!

It would be worth sending a brief fax or letter to Labor MLAs urging them to support the Bill (or any other measure for a more sensible timeframe and process for renewing our schools). The first priorities would be Karin MacDonald, Wayne Berry, Mick Gentleman and Mary Porter. Next: Simon Corbell and Katy Gallagher. Then Andrew Barr and Jon Stanhope.