Heatherwood Special School students forced to use ‘disgusting’ portaloos

Students and staff at Heatherwood Special School have been left with unusable facilities infested with mud and dangerous black mould after a builder went into liquidation.

Vulnerable students are forced to use “disgusting” portaloos after a builder’s collapse has left a special school’s grounds a fenced-off vandalised mud pit.

Work on the $10m new architect-designed facilities for Heatherwood Special School in Donvale has stalled, leaving the staff and students with inaccessible facilities infested with mud and dangerous black mould.

The project was due to have been completed in July when the builder went into liquidation, one mother with a son in year ten told the Herald Sun.

“Some of the buildings have also been vandalised as they are not secure. There is mud everywhere and kids don’t want to use the toilets. Some kids say they have to hold on and not go to the toilet because the portaloos are really disgusting.

“Our most vulnerable kids are left using a space they can’t navigate. They should think more about what is happening there,” she said.

“Someone came to look through it for us but nothing was done.

“There are kids with physical and cognitive impairments. I am very concerned as there is not a lot of choice for special schools,” she said.

“We’ve had a really wet winter and there is now black mould in the rooms and the principal and vice principal had to vacate their offices,” she said.

The project was due to have been completed in July when the builder went into liquidation.

Staff and students have been left with inaccessible facilities infested with mud and dangerous black mould.

Another parent, whose son attends the school, said he had seen a “dramatic reduction” in hands-on learning.

“It is now having to contend with unsatisfactory and dangerous working conditions. Staff are sharing toilets with students, children are having to walk through mud to go between classes, mould has seen two rooms deemed unsafe,” the father said.

The school received a $4m new gymnasium and junior facilities three years ago, but the current project is the main new building for the senior school.

Shadow Education Minister Matt Bach said: “Heatherwood is a fabulous school and they deserve to have their modernisation project completed on time, as promised by the Government and on budget.”

“It is unfair that this school is being left behind with no end date in site for the completion of the project,” he said.

“The students, teachers and families of Heatherwood deserve a learning environment that’s fit-for-purpose.”

A spokesman for the Department of Education said the Victorian School Building Authority is “working closely with the school to continue works on a $10 million plan to improve the school’s infrastructure”.

“The search for a new builder is underway with a new completion date for the project to be shared with the school community once a contractor is appointed,” he said.

“Contractors have also been onsite to fix a leak in the roof of the main building and to ensure that areas affected by the leak are sealed off from staff and students.”