Disability access added to long list of issues at Kensington Primary School

Parents and children with disabilities are being left out in the cold because of a lack of access at the dilapidated Kensington Primary School. And one dad in a wheelchair has shared his story to highlight just how bad the problem is.

Kevin Hayley can only access Kensington Primary School using one entrance that is usually locked.

A father in a wheelchair says he has been forced to wait in the pouring rain to pick up his children at Kensington Primary School due to a lack of disability access.

The school, which opened in 1873, has just one point of entry for people with mobility issues — a side gate that is only unlocked for half an hour either side of the peak school pick-up and drop-off period.

Outside of those times, anyone who can’t use stairs must call the school office and have someone come and unlock the gate.

Kevin Hayley said he had been forced to wait in pouring rain for 20 minutes outside the locked gate that has no cover when staff forgot to unlock it.

“It doesn’t happen often,” he said.

“The staff usually come out immediately to open the gate.”

Kevin Hayley says “struggling” Kensington Primary is plagued with more serious issues than his access to the school.

Mr Hayley is sharing his story not to blame the school, but to highlight the need for $2 million in urgent works, which would include making the campus more accessible.

Leaking and mouldy buildings, rotting floorboards and rooms so hot a teacher fainted, are just some of the issues plaguing the school.

Last year a chunk of concrete fell from a building onto the school’s entrance. The Leader has backed calls for $2 million for urgent works as part of a Fix Our School campaign.

Melbourne state Greens MP Ellen Sandell has raised the issue of disability access at the school twice in parliament but no commitments have been made by the State Government.

Education department spokesman Tom Fraser said the school was “accessible for all students during usual pick-up and drop-off times”.

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“The department has been in contact with the school to discuss disability access,” he said.

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission executive director Catherine Dixon could not say whether the school was compliant with the Equal Opportunities Act or not “without knowing all the circumstances”.

Mr Hayley said the school could install a ramp, but it was tough when they couldn’t even afford to keep the roof watertight.

“My son said after it rained quite hard the teacher was making jokes about having to hold buckets over his head to keep him dry,” he said.

Parents are forking out a combined $40,000 a year on sausages and trivia nights to raise funds for the school.

Students are so desperate to rebuild a playground that was torn down last year for safety reasons, they sold their own toys and books to each other to help raise funds.