Open Letter to Dr Jane Lomax Smith

On behalf of the Kilkenny Primary School Governing Council, on behalf of other public schools, I am writing to invite Education and Children’s Services Minister Dr Jane Lomax Smith to our next governing council to explain to our school community how to comply with the draconian financial impost she is forcing on public schools in South Australia.

The governing council is fully aware of, and remains supportive of, the need for financial stringency, but it is clearly apparent, despite Dr Lomax Smith’s statement to the contrary, that public schools have been significantly disadvantaged financially since the introductions of Partnerships 21.

Public schools will need to cut budgets by tens of thousands of dollars. These are some of our options:

• Cut the amount of SSO/student contact time or cut Guided Reading Programs;
• Cut the furniture replacement programme or library resource purchases;
• Cut the ongoing upgrade of computers;
• Cut subsidising excursions and external performances to all students;
• Cut music programmes or the supply of resources to education programs;
• Cut access to the Life Education van;
• Increase school fees to replace the lost income.

Where does this policy fit in with South Australia becoming the Education State? All of the above are of vital importance in providing the support, equipment and programs that are essential in assisting our students to prepare for and become sound members of our community. I’m sure Dr Lomax Smith would be welcome at many other governing council meetings.

Colin Campbell
Secretary
Kilkenny Primary School Governing Council

This was published in the Weekly Times Messenger on June 27 2007. We plan to personally invite some of the politicians to come and explain to our Governing Council why this is good public policy and to make suggestions on what programs to cut.