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.

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