Families told Essendon North Primary ‘safe’ for students after asbestos fears
One in seven children were kept home from Essendon North Primary today amid fears of asbestos exposure — but Premier Daniel Andrews has moved to assure concerned families the school is safe.
Education
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One in seven children were kept home from Essendon North Primary today amid fears of asbestos exposure as Premier Daniel Andrews moved to assure concerned families.
Parents of 90 students refused to send their kids to school for the second day after a series of asbestos incidents in the past month.
Up to 15 possible asbestos fragments were on the school’s oval and garden bed during audits over the past two weeks.
RELATED: KIDS KEPT HOME OVER ASBESTOS FEARS
The audits came after asbestos dust was found in the Grade 1 classrooms, covering children’s belongings, following maintenance works.
Mr Andrews said the school was deemed safe and there was “no need to be alarmed”.
“I understand this would be a very stressful, difficult time for parents at that school but the advice I have … is that extensive testing has been done, that the school is safe and that there is no reason to keep kids at home,” he said.
“It would be a very significant issue to have to confront so I’m not diminishing that in any way.”
While 90 students did not turn up for school, some were ill or absent for other reasons.
However, the Herald Sun understands about 20 parents — some with multiple children — wrote to government representatives to advise they would keep their kids home over the asbestos issue.
Victorian School Building Authority chief executive Chris Keating said soil at Victorian schools sometimes contained old building fragments as the material may have been used as backfill.
In the case of Essendon North Primary, it was believed grass had worn out on the oval and building fragments under the ground had risen to the surface.
However, Mr Keating said “right now, the school is safe”.
“Being safe is different from feeling safe, we understand that parents at the school are deeply distressed,” he said.
“We’ve done everything we can to work with that school to make sure they understand what’s happening.”
Mr Keating said schools were required to visually check the condition of their asbestos every three months and if concerned, must call the Department of Education for expert advice.
Essendon North Primary principal Scott Mullen said he would “continue to share updates with families”.
“We take great pride in delivering a high-quality education and I would like to emphasise the school’s education programs aren’t impacted and classes are continuing as normal,” he said.
A fence was constructed around the oval today, which will be replaced with a synthetic oval over the school holidays.
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