The Bartlett Labor government has failed to properly consult and respect the wishes of the Waverley Primary School community in its rush to merge the school with St Leonards Primary School.
I have been contacted by several parents of WPS students who are angry at the way the merger has been promoted and so-called ‘ballots’ counted.
Clearly, counting unreturned ballots as a ‘yes’ vote is a rort.
This lack of integrity in the process is compounded by:
- The poor communication with parents regarding the information session and confusion regarding the date of that session.
- The fact that people who reside in Waverley and have an affinity with the school but do not currently have students enrolled were excluded from the consultation which did take place.
- The fact that the neither the school, the department nor the minister released the results of the ballot, or even the level of participation.
As a result of these concerns I conducted an independent and voluntary survey of the community, which showed the following results:
Question 1 – Parents of WPS students only
Did you complete and return the survey form issued by the school which asked if you were in favour of a merger with St Leonards Primary School?
- No, I don’t remember receiving this (32%)
- No, I did receive it but didn’t return it (10%)
- Yes, I voted in support of the merger (0%)
- Yes, I voted against the merger (57%)
Number of parent responses: 40
Question 2.
Do you believe that parents who did not return a survey should have been counted as a “Yes” vote by the State Government?
- Yes (0%)
- No (95%)
- Undecided (5%)
Number of responses: 57
Question 3.
How do you feel about the plan for Waverley students attending WPS from K to Gr2 and then moving to the St Leonards campus for Gr3 to Gr6?
- Satisfied (0%)
- Dissatisfied (98%)
- Undecided (2%)
Number of responses: 57
As a result of these survey results I will be proceeding with discussions with both parent representatives and the Tasmanian Liberal leader Will Hodgman regarding an appropriate way forward for Waverley children which in my mind must include the possibility of running a proper and robust community consultation.
