Education Minister says new high school for Wee Waa is being considered

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell visited Wee Waa on Monday to meet principals, parents and teachers to discuss the health concerns that recently forced Wee Waa High School’s campus to close and to also figure out a long-term solution for the town’s students.

“I want parents in the community to have the confidence that we will work with the community to find a solution and that will be a separate primary school and a separate high school – no plans to close the school,” said Ms Mitchell in an interview with The Courier.

“We just need to work through what the solution will be which may be a new school, at a new site – we’re actively considering that now.

“And I actually want to make a decision on that fairly quickly to give the community the confidence that we will work with them to find an outcome and if it’s a new school on a new site – then that’s what we’ll do.”

The minister’s visit on Monday coincided with all Wee Waa High School students returning to face-to-face learning, but at the Wee Waa Public school campus.

The Department of Education closed the WWHS campus on November 11 after a number of staff and students developed symptoms similar to an allergic reaction including respiratory difficulties, rashes, nausea and headaches.

An investigation into the exact cause of the health issues is still ongoing.

“I really wanted to come and spend some time myself talking particularly to the principals of the two school [Wee Waa Public School and Wee Waa High School] but also the P and Cs about how the schools have been impacted this year and give them the guarantee going forward that we are looking at solutions for the high school so that parents and the community can have confidence that we are going to work with the schools to find a solution,” said Ms Mitchell.

Member of the Legislative Council Sam Farraway and representatives from the NSW Department of Education, along with Narrabri Shire Council mayor Ron Campbell were at the meeting held at Wee Waa Public School on Monday morning.

“We’re continuing to do extensive testing on the Wee Waa High School current site – it’s very concerning what’s going on there and particularly hearing from Annabel [Doust, WWHS principal] today about some of the symptoms that staff and students have had has really helped put it into perspective in terms of how serious those concerns are,” said Ms Mitchell.

“So we’re really looking now at every option, including building a brand new high school at a brand new site.

“We want parents and the school community to know that from next year we will be on this one site [Wee Waa Public School] operating as two separate schools with interim measures in place but we are actively looking for a long-term solution.”

Ms Mitchell said she wanted to ensure all students had access to a good education and that schools were offered resources to help students catch-up on any learning opportunities they missed this year.

“While we will be on the one site here [WWPS] – we’ll still have the separate high school and the separate primary school with everything so that we can still offer the same subject choices so that parents and students don’t have to feel concerned that their education will be impacted,” said Ms Mitchell.

“We are not looking at moving to central school model. I live in Gunnedah – I understand the importance of really good, regional public education.

“This isn’t a situation that the local community asked for, it’s something out of their control.

“Obviously, it’s quite perplexing what’s happening at the high school site and there’s been a lot of testing over the last year and we’re trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on, but I do think it will reach a point where if we can’t find a way to remediate the existing site in a way that the community has confidence with, well then that’s why we’re actively looking for potential other sites for a new school here in Wee Waa.”

Ms Mitchell said the government was also addressing the health concerns raised by the school community members.

“I know that the head of our work health and safety has been speaking with Dr Kerry Chant (NSW Chief Health Officer) and others in terms of the public health response as well and for each of the staff and students that have had symptoms they are taking an individualised approach to looking at treatment and what we need to do.

“It is concerning and ultimately for me, particularly as the minister, I don’t want staff worried about coming to work and I don’t want parents wondering whether they can send their child to school safely.

“Schools are safe places and I want parents to have confidence in sending their kids to their local school.”
Wee Waa High School P and C president Merrill Johnson said she was pleased the minister made the effort to visit Wee Waa and was impressed with her response so far.

“I thought it was a very positive meeting,” said Mrs Johnson.

“The minister is obviously very committed to getting Wee Waa High School a new school site if that’s necessary, so I think it was a very positive meeting for community members.

“There was a discussion that depending on what happens they are looking at a new building on a new school site, as a possible option, to alleviate any community fears that there could be possible contamination from the area,” said Mrs Johnson.

Mrs Johnson said the minister’s commitment to ensuring students and staff are offered help with extra learning resources was ‘critical’.

“I think the students have struggled between Coronavirus and then this disruption at the school – I think the students have been impacted dramatically because of it and I suspect that the students’ results next year will flow through and show that,” said Mrs Johnson.

Mrs Johnson also thanked Wee Waa Public School for helping the Wee Waa High School community.