Jerrabomberra’s parents on the outskirts of Canberra have successfully pressured the New South Wales government to change its controversial zoning rules for the new public high school.
Key points:
- The decision to redistribute the enrollment of two public schools in Jerrabomberra has been revoked
- The NSW Department of Education announced in March that children in Jerrabomberra Heights would not be able to attend schools.
- The community lobby, with the support of Monaro MP Nichole Overall, had the decision ruled out, initially only for primary school and now for high school.
Earlier this year, the NSW Department of Education announced that children living in Jerrabomberra Heights would not be eligible to attend Jerrabomberra High School, which will open next year, or the Jerrabomberra Heights High School. public primary school of Jerrabomberra.
Instead, the Department of Education proposed that residents of the northern suburbs should send their children to school in Queanbeyan and not to their local school.
The announcement provoked a reaction from many in the community, who said they had not been consulted on the matter and that their suburb was “splitting in half”.
But in April, the NSW government overturned part of that decision, removing changes to the primary school enrollment limits.
At a community meeting last night, officials also abandoned changes to the zoning of the new high school.
“The debacle of zoning was very avoidable”
Jerrabomberra Public School PTA President Kylie Prescott said the general response from the community to zoning investment had been very positive.
Jerrabomberra Public School PTA President Kylie Prescott says if the community is consulted, the situation could have been avoided. (ABC News: Lisa Glenday)
“[We] We are so relieved that the consultation with the community has been completed and the information we have passed on to decision makers has been made, “he said.
“Our community conversation has changed from ‘we are devastated’ to ‘we are delighted.’
“We can’t wait until 2023 when everyone in our community can attend our new Jerrabomberra High School.”
Ms Prescott said the Jerrabomberra community had been pushing for a local high school for more than two decades, so knowing it would only be available for half the suburb was extremely disappointing.
“We are an established community, people have been living here for over 25 years. A high school has been promised in this community for decades,” he said.
“Finding out this year that only half would go to high school was devastating news, and our community didn’t accept it.”
He said if the NSW Department of Education had sought community feedback before the announcement, the situation could have been avoided.
“The Jerrabomberra zoning debacle was really very avoidable,” he said.
“If the community had been included in the consultation from the beginning, this could have been avoided.”
‘They didn’t bring the community with them’: MP
Monaro MP Nichole Overall pressed for planned school boundary changes after announcing them. (ABC News: Lisa Glenday)
Monaro member Nichole Overall, who was elected in February following the resignation of former Nationals MP John Barilaro, said he had always supported calls from the Jerrabomberra community to be heard on the matter.
“I have had uninterrupted meetings with the Minister of Education, who has been willingly involved in all this, constant communications and discussions with the directors of the Department of Education, from school performance to infrastructure,” he said.
“I have met with directors and PMC members and community members to make sure their concerns are heard and addressed.
“We started the Community Survey just three weeks after it all came to light because I agreed with the community that they had not had a chance to participate in the consultation process.”
Ms Overall said that despite the surprise many locals felt at the sudden announcement, the discussion on zoning changes had been going on for three years, without inviting the community to contribute.
“The department had been consulting with school principals since the announcement in 2019 that Jerrabomberra was to receive a new institute,” he said.
“While [the Education Department] had worked what it could mean, and it is not a matter of lines on a map, it is to make sure that public education in the Queanbeyan area is fair and equitable for all students.
“They hadn’t brought the community with them on this and that’s what I’m supporting, that their voices should be heard.”