State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, will today move a Notice of Motion that will trigger a debate on the decision to exclude parts of New Lambton Heights in the adjustment of intake boundaries for New Lambton Public School.
Last month Ms Hornery met with the Minister for Education asking her to set aside the decision to exclude six streets from the catchment area.
In July residents were given less than 48 hours to complete an online survey about the proposed changes after a complete failure by the School and Department of Education to adequately notify parents of potential students.
The meeting with the Minister failed to address any of the issues and concerns raised by parents, with Ms Hornery including public transport options and the safety of students crossing major roads.
Ms Hornery will move the Notice of Motion that will trigger a debate during the November sitting weeks.
“The meeting with the Minister this month was a complete waste of time given she wasn’t interested in hearing any of the concerns parents had raised with me,” said Ms Hornery.
“So I will move a Notice of Motion that will trigger a debate for later in the year and the Parliament can listen and put the issue to a vote on the floor.
“I understand the School is at capacity and some changes need to be made, but the proposed changes are ridiculous and simply don’t make sense.
“What the Minister and her bureaucrats fail to acknowledge is that the modelling they have used is completely wrong and is disadvantaging a small section of the community.
“The school is over capacity because of the failings of the Department of Education to address the chronic levels of out of zone enrolments that they have allowed.
“Students from as far away as Blacksmiths and Maitland are still attending the school, yet the Minister has chosen to punish local students who could walk to school by rezoning them to a school that will require them to be driven to.
“It just doesn’t make sense and this Notice of Motion will allow an open and frank debate on the facts in November,” Ms Hornery said.