topic Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt! in Community Spirit

OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

master*and*commander — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 11:23:09 GMT

Communities angry as six Queensland schools close

5:18pm September 17, 2013

More than 500 students and almost 100 staff will be affected by the schools' closures at the end of the year, after the state government deemed them unviable.

Some parents didn't even realise the school was closing until media approached them for interviews.

Queensland Teachers' Union deputy secretary Kate Ruttiman says the lack of communication isn't good enough, particularly given the union, like many others, has had to hear about the announcement in the media.

"Those principals only found out an hour before the rest of their communities did that their schools would be closing," she said.

"You would think out of respect for those communities they'd have a little bit more notice."

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mulherin slammed the closures as a cash grab, saying the government is more concerned about clearing prime real-estate areas than the school communities.

Mr Mulherin suggested the decision, initially expected in July, was delayed until after the federal election so it wouldn't negatively impact Liberal National Party candidates.

Mr Langbroek rejected the claims and said any money gained from the school closures would go back into the education system.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/09/17/14/47/qld-govt-to-close-six-public-schools

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

catsnknots — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:07:06 GMT

If you seriously didn't know your school was under consideration then you need to have a look at your relationship with the school and your childs education.

Also the principal of any school that did not take measures to inform parents of the situation maybe are part of the reasons the schools were not worth the money.

Parents will be given cash to help buy new uniforms and books and things... change happens and it sometimes sucks.. but I hope that parents work with their kids in finding a new school rather than making a hgue drama out of it and making kids scared of the new changes.

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

catsnknots — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:11:37 GMT

Also.. does anyone know how many schools the Labor Government closed???

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

just_me_karen — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:13:23 GMT

Crikey!

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

catsnknots — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:16:34 GMT

Labor closed 139 schools over 20 years.

Where was the uproar about those schools?

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

azureline** — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 21:42:06 GMT

I have compassion for some of the special needs children who are currently students in those schools, it will be a huge issue for them and not one easily resolved. (not to mention the teachers and their lack of a job now)

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

debra9275 — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:09:25 GMT

the same thing happened in Victoria under the Kennett govt. only it was a lot more than 6 schools. The result of that was that most kids needed to be driven to school and overcrowding in classrooms.

The school sites were sold off with Ted Baliieu being the real estate company that sold off the land. and the sites are now unit/house developments. Both my kids spent all their primary school years entirely in temporary classrooms without air conditioning. The Mothers Club were always trying to raise money for air conditioners.

after my kids left primary school, there was a change in state govt. here and the schools were given funding for badly needed, long overdue upgrades. Their old school is now big enough for the number of students it has enrolled there

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

izabsmiling — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:23:48 GMT

It looks as though Queenslanders,Principals and Staff,parents and of course the children are in tears about this.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/six-queensland-schools-will-close-at-the-end-of-year-with-two-spared-the-state-government-axe/story-fnihsrf2-1226720949032

some of them don't seem to make sense ..schools in areas where 1300 apartments are under construction and another 10,000 on the horizon and a school capacity growing at 30% yearly.

made worse by the short notice no doubt

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

twinkles**stars — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:25:18 GMT

500 students and 100 teachers? something doesn't add up.

are these all very small enrolment schools?

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

master*and*commander — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:31:14 GMT

"almost 100 staff", not specifically teachers. Average of about 16 staff per school.

average about 83 students per school

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

debra9275 — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:36:03 GMT

so, they are relatively small schools then compared to the ones that were closed down here. Even the High School I planned on sending my kids to disappeared , and this is a very built up area.

none of the money that resulted from the sale of the school sites was ever put back into education, i don't know where it went, but the state was in surplus ::

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

izabsmiling — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:45:27 GMT

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/new-wa-government-funding-model-shows-about-500-jobs-to-go-from-public-education-system/story-fnhocxo3-1226700629027

Union demands meeting over school closures, plan to slash 500 public education jobs

Tim Clarke,AAP, August 20,2013

this from WA

edited to add this more recent info

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/wa-schools-told-to-suffer-their-cuts/story-fnhocxo3-1226708183299

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

izabsmiling — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:48:44 GMT

@debra9275 wrote:
so, they are relatively small schools then compared to the ones that were closed down here. Even the High School I planned on sending my kids to disappeared , and this is a very built up area.

none of the money that resulted from the sale of the school sites was ever put back into education, i don't know where it went, but the state was in surplus ::

They were drastic weren't they ...we were warned

Kevin Rudd, who has campaigned strongly in Queensland against Newman government cuts, said Mr Abbott now wanted to emulate the former Victorian premier.

“He regards Jeff Kennett as representing a `golden age', and he therefore embraces that as his model for the future,” the Prime Minister said today.

“In the period that Mr Kennett was premier of Victoria, 300 public schools were closed, 9000 teachers and school staff were sacked, 3500 nurses were sacked, 17 hospitals were closed, 800 police officers were sacked, 45,000 public servants were sacked, unemployment peaked at 12.3 per cent, and state taxes ended up being the second highest in Australia.

“If that is a golden age that Mr Abbott embraces for Australia's future, I think the people of Australia will legitimately ask, `Where are your $70 billion worth of cuts going to fall?'.”

Campaigning in Victoria this morning, Mr Abbott praised Mr Kennett for getting the state moving again.

“Jeff was one of the great premiers of our country,” he said, alongside current Victorian Premier Denis Naphthine.

- See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/election-2013/kevin-rudd-revives-memories-of-jeff-kennett-as-he-warns-of-planned-coalition-cuts/story-fn9qr68y-1226695545796#sthash.BIvaH6PP.dpuf

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

izabsmiling — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:06:18 GMT

I'm afraid to look at the plans for Victoria.Over the past few years it's been enough of a battle to get funding for the required number of teachers.

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

catsnknots — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:07:04 GMT

I understand peoples frustrations...

BUT ... I also understand the governments. People expect so much from a government and it's service yet they also demand lower taxes. The government is a business for the people. It must manage for everyone and not just a minority.

Do I think that my taxes should go to support a school that is not running efficiently and wasting cash when it should be looking for best managment and services???

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

izabsmiling — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:11:31 GMT

going by the Courier Mail article in the link ..at these one of those schools (based at a Uni?) didn't seem to meet the criteria and had an understanding that they would be given a years notice ?

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

izabsmiling — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:37:09 GMT

Almost 14000 are planning a half day strike in WA tomorrow against cuts to the education system that would see a loss of 500 jobs to the public education system in WA

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

*crikey*mate* — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:15:54 GMT

The bit that I think makes it look bad in the article is how the announcement was allegedly held back until after the election so that it didn't have a negative impact on the election. That just seems a bit sneaky to me.

Fair enough, if the schools are not running efficiently and there are other alternatives, then they need to close, but holding back the announcement does seem a bit sneaky,

Deb, there was a fair bit of money injected into schools in recent years.

There was the $3000 for school halls or libraries.

There was another $200,000 for science labs (conditions applied)

There was the money rolled out for the ICT upgrades, either by the provision of the free devices or upgrading existing ICT infrastructure in the schools.

There were some other smaller grants that schools could apply for as well, but sadly a fair few schools either didn't even apply or submitted poorly constructed applications.

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

*crikey*mate* — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:18:39 GMT

@catmad*2013 wrote:
I understand peoples frustrations...

BUT ... I also understand the governments. People expect so much from a government and it's service yet they also demand lower taxes. The government is a business for the people. It must manage for everyone and not just a minority.

Do I think that my taxes should go to support a school that is not running efficiently and wasting cash when it should be looking for best managment and services???

Was this maybe the thinking behind the cuts to the TAFE system that was being talked about on here recently?

Re: OUCH - That's gotta hurt!

catsnknots — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:52:27 GMT

yes, it sure was ... and I am not going to use your ID to reply to .. I find it offensive