I've just come home from an Art Blast network meeting. It was hosted by an art teacher who has just moved into her brand new art room a part of an "arts block" that was one of the choices available in the so called school hall fiasco. It is beautiful, a large purpose built room with adequate store rooms and a new kiln room with a new kiln. The block also has a sound proofed music room, two classrooms and a huge wet area. It is absolutely stunning!
And guess what! My school is getting one too! It won't be ready for a while as we had some issues with the fact that our school is in part heritage listed.
Some people complained that we didn't have a lot of choice- a school hall/undercover area, a library and an arts building. We had a library and an undercover area built some time ago with some serious fundraising so I believe about 20-30 years ago. The rest of the school although its grounds are picturesque as a result of some very dedicated parents and staff the buildings have definitely seen better days. The pokey rooms designed for rows of benches and slates are now bulging with resources /desks computers and completely different approaches to learning all of which were never dreamed of when the school was built. There have been years where very little has been done due to the fact that funding for repairs does not go far when you are dealing with a school that is almost 100 years old and is in an area that is not poor enough to get extra funding but not rich enough to get large amounts of funds from voluntary school fees and fund raising.
I for one am very happy about this so called fiasco and cringe every time I hear the school hall project derided in this election campaign. Only 2.7% of schools complained - very loudly I guess.
But I can't wait!!!!!!
It will be wonderful!!!
5 comments:
Now you see, this is the annoying thing isn't it? Wow, I didn't know it was only 2.7%! That hardly sounds like a debarcle does it? Our school's buildings are almost done too, everyone there seems ecstatic. We were personally also really happy with the insulation scheme (right time for us for once).I'm frustrated that Labour doesn't take the Libs to task and show the percentage of satisfied people but I guess if they do then those vocal minority would scream louder. So why doesn't the press highlight it? Grrrr I'm still very nervous about Saturday...
When I was still teaching my classroom was 100 years old and it is now 110 and has had no updating. The Education Building Plan is a great one. Especially for small, poor schools.
I know I heard this statistic the other day and was amazed but it clarified why there seemed to be such imbalance with what was being reported and what I was experiencing. 2.7 was australia wide but I think that more than half of them came from one state. Apparently most of those complaints came from NSW -I think or maybe it was vic. Maybe it was vic. because I know they have had alot more autonomy in the spending of school funds than the rest of us. It is amazing how loudly the dissatisfied few make their point felt in relation to anything isn't it!
Oh I just discovered my artist's beret has a hole in it and I don't know how to fix it, smiles sweetly and asks for help. :)
Sounds like the best kind of fiasco to have really!
Sounds great - bright new space for creativity to blossom! Lovely... enjoy it when it comes.
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