A disturbing article appeared in yesterday’s Herald Sun newspaper stating that one primary school destroyed in the Black Saturday fires will need to seek community support to rebuild its once wonderful library:
A SCHOOL destroyed in the Black Saturday fires has been forced to ask for community help to rebuild its library.
Marysville Primary principal Peri Dix has told a local Masonic lodge that a library was not part of the State Government’s plan to rebuild the devastated school.
“Our school once housed a wonderful library, books which provided hours of learning and pleasure to our students,” Ms Dix wrote to the lodge.
“While the (Education Department) rebuild classrooms and office space, rooms such as library and art are outside their budget.”
Ms Dix said the school would welcome support such as shelving for books.
Freemasons Victoria grand secretary Barry Reaper said yesterday his organisation would help Marysville PS with books and library equipment.
“We can understand that the Government will be doing all they can to reconstruct the facility, but we believe a library is an essential part of it,” he said.
Freemasons have raised more than $1 million for bushfire victims, with about $985,000 already distributed.
Opposition education spokesman Martin Dixon said while community donations were welcome, it was the Government’s responsibility to replace what was lost by schools.
An Education Department spokesman insisted library facilities would be rebuilt.
The Government will spend almost $20 million on projects including Marysville and two other destroyed primary schools – Middle Kinglake and Strathewen.
Bright Ideas is seeking comments from relevant people in relation to this story.
The plans on the school website don’t appear to include a library.
We need to make a big fuss about this, and get it into the mainstream media.
I have contacted all three Prins from burnt out schools to ascertain facts. Waiting on replies before taking action.
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It is, surely, the government’s responsibility to replace what was lost. If they do not accept this responsibility, it is setting a dangerous precedent for all schools. If a school loses JUST its library, in an act of arson or electrical fault, will the government refuse to replace it? I don’t think so. If they say they can’t afford to replace a whole school, then they need to stop taking study tours for a year or two, that will more than make up the cost.
Please advertise the results of your research on this question, and I am sure all teachers will rally to a public campaign. The media is a powerful tool just waiting to be harnessed.
Thank you to everyone who contacted me about this article. I gather that these schools do not actually ‘qualify’ for a separate library due to very small enrolments. Two schools have their own plans for their own library spaces, one says they have seen plans for a library that is planned to be built.
If any schools in Victoria are buying new library shelving, the schools affected by the fires would appreciate receiving your old shelving. You can contact me via the comments section and I’ll pass your details on.
Respondents also thanked people who donated books, etc. to the schools.
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Having worked for the department with some connection to the facilties unit I can tell you that all schools built from scratch (be they replacement schools or greenfield sites) are built according to a set schedule which determines the allocation of classrooms and libraries based upon the number of students the school will have long term – not what was in the school previously.
This formula would have been applied to Marysville PS (and the others). As small schools they would probably not be entitled to much more than classrooms and an admin area. This doesn’t mean the school can’t have a library…just that the Department won’t provide a specific building/room for it.
Thanks for this information, Peter.