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Why these students are standing up to the Department of Education and threatening to give their principal detention
- Students at Orange Grove Public School protesting to protect their grass area
- The Inner West School is at risk of losing their green space for more classrooms
- More than 100 children and politicians protested outside the school gates
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A group of school children are threatening to give their principal detention after a development application to turn their grass area into more classrooms was uncovered.
At Orange Grove Primary School around 100 vocal kids, parents, locals and state politicians gathered outside the school gate opposing a plan to replace their only green space playground.
Before school began on Thursday the children were heard chanting, ‘the grass should stay, it is where we play’ outside the Inner West public school in Sydney.
The school is locally known as ‘the bush school in the city’ but the Department of Education are exploring levelling the green space playground in order to add more classes and bolster the number of students.
At Orange Grove Primary School around 100 vocal kids, parents, locals and state politicians gathered outside the school gate opposing a plan to replace their only green space playground
The school is locally known as ‘the bush school in the city’ but the Department of Education are exploring levelling the green space playground in order to add more classes
While the local community has been vocal about the proposed move, principal Kasey Henness (pictured) avoided the protest and ducked journalists outside school grounds
A Current Affair reported parents uncovered pre-development application lodged by the NSW Department of Education with the Inner West Council.
‘It feels like they’re shoving the plan down our throats,’ one parent said. ‘It’s appalling, it’s irresponsible, it’s lazy.’
‘A lot of people were just really shocked and disappointed,’ another complained.
A third said: ‘The process hasn’t been transparent.’
A NSW Department of Education spokesperson told A Current Affair: ‘The Department has not made any decision regarding utilising the green space play area for classrooms and is in the process of putting together a consultative group, with representation from parents and carers, to provide advice to the project team.’
While the local community has been vocal about the proposed move, principal Kasey Henness avoided the protest and ducked journalists outside school grounds.
One child took her refusal to help them personally exclaiming, ‘she should have detention’.
The NSW Department of Education said they could not build the additional classrooms anywhere else on the site due to a heritage-listed school classroom.
But industry expert Dr Peter Watts said that excuse was ‘bollocks’ since the original building was actually destroyed in the 1930s in a fire.
Before school began on Thursday the children were heard chanting, ‘the grass should stay, it is where we play’ outside the Inner West public school in Sydney