Iemma govt neglect killing Macquarie Boys High School

Commenting on the news that a letter has been to parents announcing the intention of NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca to begin the closure process, Dr Kaye said:

“The Carr/Iemma government sat on its hands while student enrolments at Macquarie Boys plummeted.

“It was always in the hands of this Minister and his predecessors to turn around the decline and put in place plans to attract students back.

“Minister Della Bosca did nothing.

“He and his predecessor ignored sensible suggestions made in March 2006 by the teachers at Macquarie Boys. These included cooperative initiatives with local primary schools, the introduction of an academically selective stream and  increased resources to support higher staffing levels.

“The Iemma government ignored each of these suggestions and turned its back on the future of the school.

“Closure is a bad outcome for the local community. Students will have their education interrupted and the staff will need to relocate.

“The only saving grace is that the Minister has promised not to sell the site but to establish a resource centre for science and mathematics teaching.

“We will have to wait to see the details of the proposed centre to assess the benefits to local students.

“The Greens are committed to working with the local community to keep this site as an education facility in public hands,” Dr Kaye said.