New school rule

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
The school community held a rally on Friday 8 April to voice their concerns and disgust in finding out the new government had changed the rebuilding plans into a two-stage project last month, just weeks after half of the school had been demolished.
But Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe told the protesters that the rebuilding had always been in two stages, and that it wasn’t a matter of “if” they would get the money, but “when”.
The rally comes just days after the Coalition Government announced they would be spending money in marginal Liberal seats in Melbourne’s east.
Evelyn has become a very safe Liberal seat after a 10.7 per cent swing in Christine Fyffe’s favour increased her margin to 13.5 per cent.
Past student, parent and school council vice-president Tania Hodgson said the decision to change the plan to two stages meant the government had gone back on its word, staff and students were struggling in temporary accommodation and the project’s change of plans would cost taxpayers more money.
Mrs Hodgson said the community had been in planning with the Education Department for four years, and were told to proceed to the final plans as a total rebuild in one stage.
After demolishing half the school at the end of last year, the school council received a letter advising that only one third of the project could go ahead.
“We now have to re-plan the plans and spend further money on consultants and architects to have these plans revised to allow for only a partial build,” she said.
Mrs Hodgson said the school community had been prepared to live and work in temporary accommodation for 12 months, but she said three years under the current conditions would be appalling.
“We have no disabled facilities, no staff room, no private office space … and our children are sharing the limited staff toilets,” she said.
“It’s not a very good situation for anyone, but particularly the teachers.”
The school council backed the strong support from Christine Fyffe in her active campaigning for the school while in opposition and argue that Mrs Fyffe told them the full funding would be available in one stage.
The community put these words to Mrs Fyffe, who was invited to the rally, and she told them she understood and agreed that it would be more cost effective if the works were done in one stage, and the staff and students weren’t stuck without privacy and space for the next three years.
She said the funding would be available, and underlined these arguments in a letter to Education Minister Martin Dixon, but said the decision was left to those who made the budget, and she was powerless to stop those decisions.
“You will get the money, it’s locked in, the question is when do you get the balance and I don’t know until the budget is brought down,” she told the community.
She said they had two choices – to wait and see what the coming budget would bring or tell the government the school didn’t want any money until they could get the full amount.
Students marched around their half of an oval with placards yelling out “we want our oval back” and “save our school”.
The community began its school holidays happy to have made a noise but hesitant about the coming budget.