POLITICS FAILING STUDENTS
To the Editor,
Suzanna Sheed is right, politics is hurting students (Shepparton News, Friday, 27th May), unfortunately, her only stated concern is for the students at Greater Shepparton Secondary College.
Here’s how politics is hurting our students.
By simply existing in a place inconvenient to developers, we have been made invisible by our local council and their consultants.
Following decades of shocking neglect of the needs of the homeless by successive state governments, the Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build arrived with much hope and promise.
However, I feel the Big Build process is not democratic and gives great power to developers over communities or even a small school for vulnerable students.
Our students are fighting to save their school from a four storey development on the carparks adjoining the school that would loom over the school, block most of our sunlight and severely effect the rights that students have for privacy and safety.
Can you imagine the impact on our students’ mental health and wellbeing by being completely overshadowed and overlooked in their only outdoor classroom and play ground? Or the noise and dust from a huge building project next door that would make teaching and learning untenable? Or of their school being potentially unable to meet registration requirements and being forced to close? This is what politics will potentially do here.
Despite a request for her support on 20th January, Suzanna Sheed doesn’t seem to have any concern for our students and has not visited our school.
Several politicians have visited our school to meet students and see for themselves the impact a four storey development would have on vulnerable learners. We appreciate their interest in obtaining facts and asking pertinent questions in parliament.
Wendy Lovell was one of those politicians. Wendy understands that all students need to have choice in education as well as a safe, secure and positive learning environment. Our school provides that to 104 children and young people.
Suzanna Sheed also mentions student aspirations as a reason to put young people first. Our students, many of whom have high learning needs, simply aspire to complete their education at the school they call their own.
Our students are proud of their brand new school and deserve to be supported too.
Yours sincerely,
Bronwyn Rose
Principal
Shepparton ACE Secondary College
