Keeping schools local

The ACT ALP are telling the people of the local villages of Hall and Tharwa tough, they are not re-opening the schools they stupidly shut almost two years ago now. The Greens and Liberals made this issue a major campaign platform, and perhaps understandably the Greens are copping some criticism that they are accepting the ALP's position.

I suspect they are discovering that not all fights are winnable. Plus there seems to be a growing recalcitrance in Andrew Barr's office, coupled with the attitude that they'll only consider anything if there is a significant public outrage - "We don't sense there's the political will to pursue the issue, so we won't be changing our position." Yep that's a quote. On another issue, but just as relevant and indicative of a concerning trend. It's a worry when the politics become more important than what's right, but I'm sure many would say "ever were it thus."

And to be fair to the Greens, they have slapped down the government on a (growing) number of issues over the last year.



Hall may not be reopened by the government, but if that had happened, there would always be a high likelihood of it being closed again at some stage. The Greens have won a concession that reverses the dumb prior position of the government that said 'we're not reopening it and no-one else can either, so pfffttt'. Now the way is clear to have a private operator run Hall, and I think that will sit OK with many of the residents there. I'm sure a Steiner school would go great there.

As a basic concept, I think schools should be available in all suburbs. Schools are the glue that brings and holds local communities together. Therefore their role reaches far beyond just schooling. If there is a disproportionate expense in running smaller schools it is probably in the duplication of administration and management. But there is no reason at all that one set of those can't run two or three schools in a local area. That's where I think the ALP got it wrong, and Andrew Barr on inheriting the education portfolio did not do anything to correct.

The other problem with closing and selling off schools is that demographics change. Just as the change in population make-up of many of the inner suburbs changed, leading to reduced student numbers, so it can (and will) change back. There is a concerted push to increase population density on the inner areas and to provide alternatives for older couples from staying in their 3-bedders on 800sq m, thus freeing these up for families. Already we are seeing this with the growing demand for places in some schools such as Majura primary.

A future government will come to regret greatly the selling off to developers of prime school land...