Education Minister Sarah Mitchell meets with parents and stakeholders to discuss mega school plans

The Education Minister has met with parents and other stakeholders to address concerns about the new development and dispel rumours about job losses.

NSW Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell has met with parents at Murwillumbah. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

After calls from the community, the New South Wales Education Minister has met with parents and other stake holders to discuss next steps for the $100m Murwillumbah Education Campus.

The new facility will combine four schools, Murwillumbah Public School, Murwillumbah East Public School, Murwillumbah High School and Wollumbin High School, into one facility at a redeveloped Murwillumbah High School.

Minister Sarah Mitchell met with the principals of the four schools, representatives from the four P&Cs, parents, the Tweed Mayor and other local politicians to discuss next steps for the new school.

Murwillumbah High School year seven students Eva Tiffen, 12, and Jazmin Harris, 13, with Ben Franklin MLC and education Minister Sarah Mitchell. Photo: Jessica Lamb

Ms Mitchell said it was a productive conversation about the future of the school.

“A couple of parents did talk about the process about how it was announced,” she said.

“I live in a country town myself … if I was in their position I would be shocked and have questions I want answered.

“Parents want to know what this will mean for their children.”

Discussions also involved how parents can be involved in the vision for the new school.

She said the next steps for the education campus were financing the concept designs with more detail which were expected to be complete later this year.

Part of the consultation process includes taking another of parents to a school in Armidale which was recently redeveloped joining two schools together.

Tweed MP Geoff Provest, Murwillumbah High school principal Peter Howes, education Minister Sarah Mitchell, deputy premier John Barilaro and Ben Franklin MLC with Murwillumbah Primary School principal, Murwillumbah East Primary School principal and Wollumbin High School principal at the announcement of a four-year $100 million plan to close four schools and create a mega campus in Murwillumbah.

Ms Mitchell said this would allow parents to more broadly understand not just the brick and mortar of the school but the educational benefits.

“When we do bring schools together, that's worked in other communities with improvement in enrolments and attendance,” she said.

Regarding recent claims by the New South Wales Teachers Federation that two full time equivalent jobs had been lost at Murwillumbah High School Ms Mitchell said there had been a miscommunication.

“It was based on outdated information,” she said.

Ms Mitchell said the discussions on Friday were a good opportunity to get everyone together and nut out some of the details of the new school.

“I would have no hesitancy sending my children to that school – that’s how much I believe in what we’ve going to be able to do,” Ms Mitchell said.

She said she was committed to return to Murwillumbah throughout the four year process of developing the new school.