Parents and supporters of Springbank Secondary College are calling for suspension of the process to shut down their school permanently, amid the COVID19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, the Marshall Liberal Government announced it wants to close the Pasadena-based high school and send students to Unley High School in 2021.
Due to COVID-19, Unley High School is currently shut down and students are learning online from home. Many Springbank students are also at home.
A three-month public consultation process, which is yet to start, is meant to include students, parents, teachers and staff from both school communities.
That consultation is now severely compromised. Concerned parents are prevented from meeting in person, signing paper petitions or holding planned rallies.
Families that wanted to contribute to the consultation are now forced to prioritise dealing with the COVID-19 spread, including its impact on their jobs and health.
There are also serious questions about whether building works at Unley High can now be completed in time to accommodate hundreds of extra students in 2021.
The #SaveSpringbank campaign is calling for:
1) The school to remain open
2) A shared school zone for Springbank and Unley High, providing parents with choice
3) The reinstatement of a $10 million upgrade, funded under the former Labor government.
Quotes attributed to the Shadow Minister for Education Susan Close
How can any genuine consultation possibly occur in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic?
Unley High has been closed with students directed to learn online and Springbank families are uncertain about their children’s immediate education. Parents can’t reasonably be expected to contribute to consultation at this stressful time.
There is already enough uncertainty for parents in the southern suburbs right now. Why would the government want to cause parents even more confusion?
Quotes attributed to the Member for Badcoe Jayne Stinson
Springbank families are already shocked and outraged the Marshall Liberal Government wants to shut down their school – without any good reason.
To deprive students, parents, teachers and our community of the chance to properly have their say rubs salt into the wound.
The least the government can do is ensure a genuine public consultation process occurs. That can’t happen amid a pandemic.
There are many serious questions to be answered by the government about the basis for its plan to permanently close Springbank Secondary College.
The government shouldn’t be allowed to dodge scrutiny about such a serious decision about children’s education under the cover of a pandemic.
Steven Marshall and local MP Carolyn Power should listen to the pleas of this community and delay this consultation until after the pandemic threat has passed.