[Greens-Media] TasGreens_Education Minister Must Think Creatively On Small Schools_N McKim MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

BARTLETT MUST THINK CREATIVELY ON SMALL SCHOOLS
And Understand Broader Community Benefits of Education Infrastructure
Tasmanian Greens MP Nick McKim
Deputy Leader and Shadow Education Spokesperson
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today urged Education Minister David Bartlett to
think creatively about ways small schools can be kept open rather than
legislating to close schools which do not meet a 'one size fits all'
assessment criteria.

Greens Deputy Leader and Shadow Education spokesperson Nick McKim MP
said consideration must be given in any assessment process to the
broader benefits that schools provide to small communities, and said
that the provision of some educational services at a regional level is
one way that smaller schools could remain viable.

"Rather than building new infrastructure for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's
proposed 'one stop parenting shops' we should look at using existing
schools, and it would be a shame if these had been closed and sold off
in a knee-jerk response to the very real demographic issues facing
Tasmania," Mr McKim said.

"It should certainly not be inevitable that every school below a certain
size must close, and the Minister must look at ways to provide
additional umbrella educational services at a regional level to support
schools with low student numbers."

"Schools benefit small communities in many areas, not just education,
and this fact must be considered in any assessment process which the
Minister may undertake."