Fix Our School: $2m needed to fix multiple safety issues

A mouldy, leaking hall at a Kensington school is finally being fixed, 10 years after the State Government ditched the project. But parents, who had to fundraise for repairs themselves, say there’s much more work to be done.

Parents cannot understand why the state government won’t fix their children’s school.

Works on a leaking and mouldy school hall have finally begun, a decade after the State Government failed to finish it.

Students, staff and parents from Kensington Primary say the school has been ignored by the Government ever since Labor’s Building the Education Revolution funding ran out and construction of the school hall halted in 2009.

The unfinished build left the upper wall and ceiling exposed, causing leaks that closed off the hall for weeks, and mould that meant classrooms had to shut.

Despite desperate pleas from parents, staff and politicians to have the hall funded and finished, it’s been up to the school to raise most of the money needed to complete it.

Parent Emily Stanley said it was “ridiculous” the school community had to fight so hard to fix basic things.

“It’s not as if we are asking for money for computers or fancy equipment or even books. We just want our students and teachers to be able to work in a safe and comfortable environment without risk of illness or injury,” Ms Stanley said.

Parent Kevin Hayley has had to wait in pouring rain to be let into the school via the one locked gate that serves as disability access.

Fundraisers last year saw parents empty their pockets to raise $60,000 for the hall.

In May, after storm damage was reported, the Government agreed to help repair the damage with a $30,000 contribution.

Tradesmen were seen working on the unfinished hall during the recent school holidays.

Construction has also begun to replace three women’s toilets that were mouldy and leaking, and to build three more to cater to the school’s 30 female staff.

Ms Stanley said it took about seven months of relentless lobbying to get the Government to pay for the $70,000 upgrade so teachers could stop using portaloos.

Female staff have had to use portaloos for about six months.

The Government granted the school $200,000 in its latest budget, but only $14,000 would be available during the 2019/20 financial year, with the rest trickling through until 2022.

But school council president Jonathan Orr said it wasn’t enough.

The Leader has backed calls for $2 million for urgent works as part of a Fix Our School campaign.

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About 30 classroom windows were recently replaced because they did not open, were held in place by rotting wood or had broken glass.

The windows cost about $5000 and were paid for using what was left of the $37,000 maintenance budget the school received each year.

The maintenance budget has paid for:

• Portaloos for teachers while the toilets were shut
• Guttering and storm water control works
• Fixing student toilets that were blocked
• A large tree to be removed that was riddled with white ants
• New carpet to replace water-damaged floors
• Treating cabinets in the library that were infected with white ants

Other issues include the 100-year-old school not having a ramp for people with mobility issues to reach the office.

And about $50,000 is needed to replace a playground that was pulled down last year because of safety issues.

Ms Stanley said rotting office floorboards, stumps and carpet “desperately” needed to be replaced. The floor is covered in tape to stop someone putting their foot through the floor.

Airconditioners are needed to cool down the 100-year-old classrooms in the main building where temperatures reach 40 degrees in summer. Last year it was so hot a teacher fainted.

The Education Department has repeatedly refused to answer why it will not provide $2 million in funding to the school so it could fix ongoing issues.