Yanco Agricultural High School: girls dormitories compared to “Nauru Detention Centre”
Girls living at a $13,000-a-year agriculture college have had their dorms compared to Nauru Detention Centre while the boys are sleeping comfortably in permanent buildings. SEE THE CONDITION OF THE ROOMS.
The Wagga News
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Female students at a prestigious agricultural boarding school in the state’s south west are living in demountable dormitories — sweltering through scorching summer temperatures of up to 48C — as their male classmates enjoy permanent facilities.
Students at Yanco Agricultural High School, 120km west of Wagga Wagga, are campaigning for like-for-like dormitory facilities at the school, which they have been waiting 27 years for the NSW Government to upgrade demountable facilities at the school.
The school caters for students from Years 7-12.
Concerned parents, including parents and citizens representative Angus Whyte, raised their concerns around the “appalling state of dorms” with Murray state Shooters and Farmers MP Helen Dalton.
“It is a wonderful school, but the lack of permanent facilities for our female students are hindering enrolment numbers,” Mr Whyte told The Wagga Wagga News.
“We would really like to have the facilities addressed - there has been no significant investment in infrastructure in 27 years.”
Mr Whyte pleaded with the Education Department to provide like-for-like accommodation. “The girls dorms need to be reasonable and comfortable,” he said. “The boys are given basic facilities, but theirs is secure, fire safe, it is reasonable and comfortable.”
He said the girls have been forced out of their demountables during extreme weather conditions.
“Some of these demountable are second-hand, so they could be 35 years old.”
Ms Dalton said she thought she had “landed on a detention camp in Nauru” when visiting the dorms - calling for the government to act in parliament on Thursday.
“They were cramped, hot, flimsy, unsafe and totally unacceptable,” she told The Wagga Wagga News. “There were stray wires, holes in the walls, only one exit in some dorms.
“The airconditioning wasn’t working properly, and temps inside the dorms have been recorded as high as 48C.”
The demountable used for female dorms were installed at the school in 1993, when the school became co-educational.
The Wagga Wagga News understands boarding fees for the school are as high as $13,000 for an average of 40 weeks per year.
Ms Dalton called on the NSW Government to “immediately commit funding to build proper, safe dorms for the girls”.
“All male dormitories are permanent, well-maintained buildings with adequate cooling and heating,” Ms Dalton said. “I put a question on notice to the Minister for Education, and she told me the dorms met all relevant legislation for health and safety.
“Building temperatures can vary between -3C and 48C.”
Education Minister, Sarah Mitchell, said 115 girls were currently enrolled at the school.
“While the school currently has enough space in the new dorms to accommodate all students, I am aware that the principal and school community would prefer separate accommodation buildings for girls and boys, which I completely understand and appreciate,” she said.
“I’ve been in discussions with various members of the school community and stakeholders regarding the female dormitories at Yanco, and will be visiting the school during Term 1 this year.”