Opposition supports The Ponds High School parents campaign
PARENTS are worried their children will be left out of The Ponds High School because of overcrowding but the government has refuted their claims.
Rouse Hill
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PARENTS who are worried their children will be left out of The Ponds High School because of overcrowding are being supported by Opposition Leader Luke Foley in their campaign to expand capacity and airconditioning.
On Friday, exactly a year from the state election, Mr Foley told parents and children The Ponds High would be eligible for airconditioning under Labor’s Cool Schools policy.
The Ponds High opened three years ago and has reached capacity. Planning projections forecast between 1100 and 1300 students would be at the school by 2026 but its P and C said the numbers could reach 2200 by 2023. Last year there were 815 enrolments.
Mr Foley said parents were concerned the school would need 50 demountables in five years’ time.
However, the Department of Education debunked the figure of 50 demountables mentioned by Mr Foley and the P and C are wrong.
“Concerns the school will need 50 demountables within the next five years are unfounded,” a department spokesman said.
“As part of addressing the area’s long term needs, a building project is currently under way to provide new permanent facilities at the nearby Riverstone High School which will further reduce enrolment pressure in the area.
“The government is also building 14 new classrooms at Riverbank Public School, which will increase the school’s capacity to up to 800 students.”
“Premier (Gladys) Berejiklian has her priorities all wrong,” Mr Foley said. “She’s choosing $2.7 billion for stadiums, while letting schools like The Ponds High struggle under the weight of increasing enrolments.”
Riverstone state Liberal MP Kevin Conolly also confirmed the government was building two schools in the community while upgrading facilities at Riverbank, Schofields and Quakers Hill East public schools and Riverstone High School.
“Anyone who seeks enrolment at a government school will be given a place at a school in their area,” Mr Conolly said.
“That applies to The Ponds High School as it does everywhere else.
“We will continue to invest in new school facilities in the region in the coming years, with two brand new schools already announced and others yet to come.”
Rachel Litchfield, whose two sons attend the school, said: “We’re in 2018 and for a new building to be built without airconditioning is beyond comprehension.
“The Ponds High is just going on four-years-old and its trees aren’t grown enough to provide sufficient shading for the playground and building.
“We need proper shading for the children, not only to keep them cooler on 40-plus degree days but for sun protection. It only takes one sunburn for a skin cancer to develop, regardless of age.”
Mother of four Annemarie Christie said the conditions were not acceptable.
“It is simply unreasonable for us to expect that our children can learn to their potential when our schools are in this condition,” Dr Christie said.
“Unairconditioned, no playground shade and not enough classrooms. Surely we can do better.”