‘Shabby’: Major change coming to schools

More than 800 public schools across NSW are set to undergo a suite of maintenance upgrades following claims the previous government left an unacceptable “backlog” of maintenance works.

About 1200 maintenance and upgrade projects will be launched over the summer break as part of a $1bn investment into minor works, which included $600m towards essential school maintenance projects.

New floor coverings the size of 46 Sydney Cricket Grounds are set to be rolled out as part of the upgrades.

Kensington Public School in Sydney’s east is set to receive a $180,000 carpet and vinyl flooring upgrade, with photos of classrooms at the school prior to the upgrade highlighting the need for change.

Other works include a $730,000 upgrade to science labs at Morisset High School and $345,000 to upgrade metalwork classrooms as Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College.

NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car claimed the projects, while “unsexy”, were a result of a backlog dumped by the previous Liberal government.

“We really do believe we inherited a backlog that was not acceptable,” Ms Car said while speaking at Kensington Public School on Thursday.

“We have been left with basic maintenance that we have had to prioritise.

“The $1.08bn in last year’s budget was a record spend on maintenance and minor works for things like toilets. As unsexy as that is, it’s really important.”

However, NSW opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Mitchell hit back at the claims and said former Liberal and Nationals governments had spent billions on school maintenance and minor capital works, including $1.3bn in their final budget.

“By contrast the Minns Labor government has allocated almost $200m less for school maintenance this year compared to what was available under the Coalition,” Ms Mitchell said, referring to the government’s $600m investment in school maintenance projects.

“There is no doubt this will lead to schools missing out on key upgrades and projects.”

Ms Mitchell said school maintenance should “always be an ongoing project for any government”.

“During my time as minister, I was proud to see the school infrastructure backlog wiped for the first time in the state’s history, but our schools will need continued attention and investment to ensure they are well looked after,” she said.

However, it’s understood if the government included recurrent maintenance in their maintenance and minor works investment figures it would be in excess of $1.4bn.

Ms Car said fresh carpets, floor coverings, paintings and toilet maintenance included in the government’s investment were upgrades “our children deserve”.

Kensington Public School’s assistant principal told Ms Car how the floor was an integral part of the learning environment for younger children who would be more likely to enjoy learning if their classrooms are “actually fit for purpose”.

“When a year 1 comes into the classroom on day one of term 1 they’ll be able to get up and down on the floor and run around a little bit – hopefully not too much – in the classroom,” Ms Car said.

“To be able to actually learn in a great environment, of course, taught by a world-class teacher.”

Mr Minns echoed Ms Car’s claims and said he wanted public school infrastructure to reflect the “world-class education” taking place inside the walls.

“We don’t want our public schools to look shabby, we don’t want them to look out of date,” Mr Minns said.

He assured parents that public schooling was not a “second rate education” compared with private schools

“We want to make sure the parents of NSW that public education is back,” he said.

“It’s a viable, open alternative for their child – it’s not, and it doesn’t have to be, a second choice.

“Our responsibility is public education … public education has wonderful, committed teachers, smaller class sizes in many instances, and a world-class education.

“We want to make sure that the money put into infrastructure shows that when you walk through the front door, you are not getting a second-rate education, you’re getting a world-class education.”

NewsWire has contacted the NSW Liberal Party for comment.