Hall School - case presented
1 May 2009
The Hall and district community was well-represented at the Legislative Assembly today, the second day of public hearings by the committee inquiring into 'school closures and reform of the ACT Education system' .
The Assembly Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs is chaired by Amanda Bresnan (ACT Greens. Other members are Jeremy Hanson (Liberal) and Joy Burch (Labor). They anticipate reporting to government in August.
Hall Primary School P & C stalwarts Penny Haisman, Jenny Lewis and Maryann Harris preceded Progress Association representative Alastair Crombie and Jo Hall at the witness table. Collectively we are able to canvass all of the good reasons for re-opening the school.
It was stressed in particular that the wider district which the school has always served has a growing population, and that there are some special virtues of small scools. Hall had around 130 students at the end of 2006, when it was closed.
While it is perhaps true that re-opening the school will represent small additional overhead costs (the teachers and student are all still in the system), the 'excess' of school seats over students was around 18,000 in 2006 (Chief Minister's 'Letter to the People of the ACT', undated). Closing Hall accounts for only about 1.0% of this gap.
The Progress Association's submission to the Assembly Inquiry can be down-loaded here.
Our photo shows Alastair Crombie and Jo Hall (Progress Association), Jenny Lewis and Maryann Harris (Hall School P&C) at the Assembly. (with thanks to Bob Richardson)