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I'm sorry to go all serious and stuff, but sometimes circumstances demand it. This is one of those circumstances. The state Labor Government made a pre election promise to build a new high school at Kingston. The previous Education Minister Paula Wriedt scraped in at the last election based on this promise (amongst others).This is what the Lennon Government said in the 06-07 Budget Education fact sheet; "Delivering our commitments. The 2006-07 Budget will deliver a range of exciting and vital initiatives focussed on building on the improvement in Tasmania's education system". It then went on to say "$30 Million for a new high school at Kingston (to) accomodate up to 750 students and include cutting-edge information and communications technology and specialist facilities." The Budget paper proper says "Provision of $30.0 million has been made to construct a new Kingston High School in the Kingborough Sports Centre precinct to give students in Kingston improved educational opportunities in an environment that supports the learning needs of children in the 21st century. The new school, which will cater for approximately 750 secondary students from Years 7 to 10, will be completed by 2010 and will provide cutting edge information and technology and modern multi-purpose learning areas. It will also provide state-of-the-art specialist facilities to accommodate innovative programs in key areas such as science and technology, music, languages, the arts, design and sport. The school will bring many benefits to the region, including improved educational opportunities and fewer students traveling out of the area for their secondary schooling. It will also create an educational and sporting precinct in Kingston, reducing traffic congestion in the Kingston centre, and free up land for commercial and retail development. The new school will be a valuable community resource, with a number of the facilities available for community use. There will also be new partnerships developed with the University of Tasmania to incorporate secondary teacher training facilities into the new school facility;" I have written a letter to the editor of the Hobart Mercury newspaper that was published in part. Below this is the full email that I sent to the editorial department at the Mercury; "The previous Minister committed her Government to build a new High School at Kingston (KHS) prior to the last election. The people of Franklin went to the polls with this in mind and the previous minister was re elected. The new Minister re affirmed his predecessor's promise at the AGM of the KHS Association in May. $30 million was committed in this years State budget. An Education Department deputy secretary told a KHS parent forum in August this year that the budget commitment was funded outside of the Education support and capital works program and that no other school would suffer as a result.
KHS was built around 35 years ago for about 350 students. We currently have around 650 students with a growing enrollment. The only recent capital expenditure has been three temporary demountable class rooms built over ten years ago and still in use today. The gym toilets have been on the maintenance list for over ten years. Parts of the science labs can no longer be used safely. Staff are sharing small rooms that were built for single occupancy. There are other schools with needs similar to ours, however we have a commitment from the Government and the Department that the new school will be built by 2010 and that the needs of other schools will not be affected. There are other agendas that will influence community opinion, but no one can dispute that this new school is necessary. We look forward to working with the State and Local Governments as well as the local community to deliver a state of the art educational and community facility to the people of Kingborough.
Phillip Groom. Parent Member - Kingston High School Association
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