Terence,
Last Sunday there was an article addressing the lack of funding for primary schools, prominently featured was Springdale national school which two of my children currently attend. It is very sad that a principal & parents of a school need to publically be humiliated to highlight the lack of any appropriate response to basic requirements being provided by this state.
The potted history is that the school, trust and parents have being trying to have an extension and refurbishment to this historic school since 1997, in July ’99 a formal application was made and in March ’01 the Dept of Education confirmed the project would be sanctioned. After this the project slowly moved along and in feb ’03 the school under a ‘school general inspection’ was described as “sub standard”. Then in May ’05, the school was advised the building project was now assessed as a “priority project”, however after 3 years of delays the specs and the building submission was now out of date and needed to be re-submitted. In March 2006 the school board met with the building unit at stage 3 of the building process & the school was advised the money was still available. In June 07, the school board was advised that project must be started no later than Feb ’08, however this month (June 07) the planning permission was granted. In Nov ‘07 the tender docs were ready and in the process of getting pricing for the contract when they contacted by the Dept of education to hold off and await further written approval before proceeding. In December ’07 after numerous calls again the principle was told to wait until after the budget, when the minister would “make an announcement in her own good time”. Unbelievably, then in February a list of project were announced and Springdale school was not included.
Does anyone in Government either civil or political know how to accrue funds? The lack of accountability for standing over this project is shocking, especially when it has been described as a sub standard facility & has been designated as a priority and funding set aside address the issues.
I had a friend over last year from Switzerland and her two childen spent part of the day in school with my two children as a cultural exchange, all the children enjoyed the experience. My friend could not believe the facilities that the teachers and children were being educated in. She praised the creativity and ingenuity of the teachers in making the most of a poor situation, saying no school in Switzerland would be allowed stay open with such poor facilities.
If we send troops into service overseas we ensure they are well equipped and safe, we ensure the best environment is provided for the ones we care for whether they are ill or infirmed, or in need of respite. I do not believe we should treat our children any differently. Our country was once regarded as ‘the young Europeans’ and we traded on this for much inward investment, its like an old record now, a hazy dream fading into the ether.
I don’t know what if anything you can do, but I am hoping that you have integrity and ideals to become personally involved on behalf of the school in bringing a satisfactory closure to a school and group of professionals that deserve to be treated much better then they have experienced sine 1997. This mess and ridiculous bureaucracy has gone on far too long and as a parent and citizen I’m angry now and feel it’s just not good enough.
I have never written to a politician before and you got our vote at the last election because we felt you were an agent of change, so heres hoping…
