Parent raises safety concerns over Nightcliff PS fencing dispute

A Nightcliff Primary School parent has slammed the school’s decision to abandon a plan to install more fencing after a meeting with Chief Minister and local member Natasha Fyles.

A NIGHTCLIFF Primary School parent has slammed the school’s decision to abandon a plan to install more fencing after a meeting with Chief Minister and local member Natasha Fyles.

Raeleena Secretary said her five-year-old son was one of a number of children who had been leaving the school grounds during school hours because current fencing was inadequate.

“He’s got mild ADHD so he’s quite an active boy,” she said.

“The first couple of weeks I started him off there I was just getting multiple phone calls that my son was trying to leave the school grounds, and the fencing doesn’t help.”

The fencing saga has divided the northern suburbs community and Ms Secretary said while she understood others took a different view, it was a matter of safety “not just for my child but for all the children there”.

“Anyone can walk into the schoolyard, for example, the oval is open to the public so kids are out there playing at recess and lunch — a vicious dog can run in and attack a child,” she said.

Ms Secretary said if members of the public wanted to use an oval outside of school hours there were plenty of other options.

“There’s so many public ovals around the area, why does it have to be the school grounds oval?” she said.

“There’s a public oval across the road, there’s Nightcliff High School that’s got three big ovals open to the public, why do they have to use the primary school oval? It’s a really big concern.”

Raeleena Secretary and partner Rachid El Masri.

Ms Fyles said students safety was “paramount” and a small section of fence would be installed to stop kids running away.

“Nightcliff Primary School is an important part of the local community, providing a fun and safe place for children to learn and play,” she said.

“A risk assessment has been conducted regarding the fence at Nightcliff Primary School by the school council.

“To make sure that Nightcliff Primary students are safe, there will be a small section of fencing installed inside the school’s boundary. This means that children cannot run from the playground into the carpark.

“This internal fencing means that there will be no unfenced exits from the classrooms or playground areas.”