Parents furious after education chief refuses to move out of a building at Bondi Public school despite overcrowding

BONDI Public School is bursting at the seams. But the top level of a classroom building is occupied by a handful of Department of Education bureaucrats refusing to give up their view to benefit pupils.

Bondi Public School P & C presidents Rachel Blackley and Camille Usher with Bondi Public’s president Rob Keldoulis. They were fuming after the meeting in which they were told the schools were not full. Picture: John Appleyard

PARENTS from Bondi Public School were fuming after a meeting yesterday in which a Department of Education bureaucrat refused to move out of a classroom building with ocean views at the overcrowded school.

P & C vice president Rachel Blackley said they were “very unhappy” with the outcome of the meeting with a senior department bureaucrat, who is one of a handful of departmental staff taking up the top level of a building at the school which was purpose built for four classrooms.

“It is infuriating for us because while the school is bursting at the seams, there are just four permanent staff and one temporary part-time staff member up there refusing to give up their ocean views,” she said.

The department has argued the building had been used for 30 years as a regional office to provide direct support to local schools.

Last week Wentworth Courier reported an interview with former Sydney Regional Director Phil Lambert, who confirmed the intention was for staff to move out of the top level when it was needed again for classrooms.

The top level of the building is still being used as the Bondi regional office despite parents saying the space is desperately needed for classrooms

Bondi Public P & C president Camille Usher, Bondi Beach P & C president Rob Keldoulis and a representative from the Department’s assets team were also at the meeting which was organised after figures showed Bondi Public was at 141 per cent capacity and Bondi Beach was at 104 per cent.

Despite this, the parents said the bureaucrats refused to admit the schools were overcrowded.

Ms Blackley said they were told their old hall, which they use for before and after school care, philosophy, debating and scripture, could be converted into classrooms for next year’s intake.

“So they want to spend money converting our only flexible learning space and continue cramming children in until we have no space left, rather than spend money on finding alternative office space for a handful of staff,” Ms Blackley said.

“That’s just a Band Aid solution — where is the forward planning for continued future growth?”

A table showing overcrowding in eastern suburbs schools. The figures were sourced under freedom of information from the Department of Education

Mr Keldoulis said they had been told they were not full either because their “21st century open plan learning space”, funded by the P & C, could be converted into two classrooms.

He was unhappy the department had knocked back a proposal for a 50/50 funding partnership for a new classroom building.

“They will let us put in a proposal as long as we fund it and they run it but we would like to run it to get it done quicker and save money.”

Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton is looking forward to meeting with the parents.

Coogee MP Bruce Notley-Smith MP is confident of a resolution

Local MPs did not attend the meeting despite Education Minister Adrian Piccoli saying he would arrange for them to be there.

Mr Piccoli told Wentworth Courier on September 20 he had instructed the department to arrange a meeting between local Liberal MPs Gabrielle Upton and Bruce Notley-Smith (both above) to discuss growing enrolments at Bondi Beach and Bondi Public Schools.

“Unfortunately the Department arranged for the meeting to be held on October 18, a parliamentary sitting day, without first consulting with and checking the availability of the local members,” a spokesman for Mr Piccoli said yesterday.

“Due to the scheduling error the department will arrange another meeting where Gabrielle and Bruce can attend.”

Ms Upton said she “looked forward” to meeting with the parents at a later date. Mr Notley-Smith said the parents and the department and parents had to be given the opportunity “to discuss things between themselves” before the follow up meeting.

“I said we would sort it out and we will,” he said.