Work begins to fix ‘third world’ state of Narrabeen Sports High School after critics called for urgent repairs
After shocking pictures emerged of ‘third world’ conditions at a Sydney high school, authorities have confirmed a $20m price tag to repair and refurbishing classrooms.
Manly
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Urgent work to fix shocking “third world” conditions at a Sydney public school is set to begin, the state’s education authorities have confirmed.
Students and staff at Narrabeen Sports High School — opened in 1954 — have been putting up with dangerous black mould, ceilings caving in and classrooms damaged by leaking roofs.
Sickening images published in the Manly Daily in July also revealed student toilets covered in dark spots, rotting wooden stairs and stinking carpets soaked by rain.
There had been fears the 69-year-old facility’s dilapidated condition would make students and staff sick and at risk of injury.
Now, as well as repairs, School Infrastructure NSW has also confirmed it would upgrade a number of classrooms including science labs as part of the $20 million refurbishment program.
The promised works come after a fierce lobbying campaign by the Liberal MP for Pittwater Rory Amon, school staff and its P&C committee.
It led to a crisis meeting being held early in Term 3 between School Infrastructure, the school principal, Heidi Currie, and her senior staff.
The meeting thrashed out the repair and refurbishment priorities as well a timetable for the upgrade work to be completed.
Mr Amon, who started a petition, which attracted thousands of signatures, and who raised the poor state of the school in parliament, said on Tuesday that he welcomed news it would receive much-needed upgrades.
“When I visited Narrabeen Sports High in June, I was shocked at the state of the facilities,” he said.
“(It) is a first-rate school, with first-rate teachers, students, and parents.
“Unfortunately, we’ve been let down by the physical state of the school.
“Thanks to the persistence of the school’s devoted staff, and P&C, the Department of Education has confirmed that about $20 million will now be invested.”
Soon after the images were released, the new Labor Education Minister Prue Car ordered officials from School Infrastructure o meet with the principal.
School Infrastructure confirmed that work would include the renewal and repairs of the science labs, preparation rooms, and chemical storerooms in the school’s B Block
All roofs in blocks A, B, C, D and E will be replaced.
Levels one and two in Block E will get new carpets, ceilings and paintwork in classrooms and staffrooms.
All of the school’s bathrooms and changerooms, as well as the technology and applied studies classrooms in Block A, will be upgraded.
The outdoor basketball and tennis courts will be resurfaced and improved airconditioning in classrooms will be delivered.
“These upgrades are a huge step forward,” Mr Amon said.
“However, this is just the first phase of upgrades required.”
The MP said he was still lobbying NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey to include $60 million in the 2023-24 NSW Budget, to ensure all necessary upgrades of the school could be completed.
In 2018 the previous Coalition Government announced upgrades to the high school and the neighbouring Narrabeen North Public School.
In October last year the Manly Daily reported the high school would be getting upgraded learning spaces, a refurbished multipurpose hall, a two-storey extension to include a performing arts space, specialist science classrooms and spaces for woodwork, metalwork, textiles and food technology.
P & C secretary Peter McDonald said it would be ideal if the school could have a place for the performing arts and a new hall, “but we don’t want to be greedy”.
Dr McDonald said the first round of works would again make the school in demand for student places as well as improve its reputation as a place to learn science and technology subjects.
“We are getting new labs which are better than those originally promised.
“Next year, we’ll still keep pushing for a new hall … but we first want all that work that’s been committed to, done by the middle of next year.”
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