General News
11 September, 2023
Lesson in success
After 23 long years of planning, campaigning and building, the friends and family of Warracknabeal’s schools joined together on Friday to acknowledge the official opening of the Education Precinct. The ceremony was attended by representatives from...
After 23 long years of planning, campaigning and building, the friends and family of Warracknabeal’s schools joined together on Friday to acknowledge the official opening of the Education Precinct.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the companies involved in the project, as well as past principal Leo Casey, and Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora.
Mr Casey, who was principal of the Warracknabeal Secondary School from 1995 until 2007, spoke about the project history and the trials faced over the past 23 years
“The secondary college was built in 1918, and was falling apart with rising damp affecting the Mt Gambier stone causing it to crumble,” he said.
“We had a possum with young falling through the staff room roof into the staff toilet, we had asbestos, we had a cat come through the ceiling.
“The primary school, built in 1960, had similar problems but with flooding at the foot of the classrooms and the courtyard, and ceilings rotting.
“And the SDS, of course, was in rented buildings.”
The project was slowed a number of times by lack of funding.
Member for Lowan Emma Kealy launched the Finish What You Started project, with the Warracknabeal community, raising the funding issues 132 times in Parliament.
“Warracknabeal has a history of successfully integrating young and mature people of all abilities into ours and the wider community,” Mr Casey said.
“It is my belief that the history of a community that not only accepted a diverse range of abilities for the education of our youth, both within the system and the community, but actively promoted values of the same in many aspects of community life - that was the catalyst for us to get the initial support for the precinct.”
Ms Ermacora, who succeeded Jaala Pulford as Member for Western Victoria, said that all Victorian children are entitled to a great education, no matter where they live.
“It is pretty uninspiring to learn in classrooms with cracked walls, leaking ceilings, and broken heating and cooling - and wildlife, although they can be educational,” she said.
“Today we are not opening some incredible new buildings, we are delivering a brighter future for our young people in Warracknabeal and surrounds.
“Teachers can now watch the entire learning journey of their students and collaborate with their colleagues.
“Grade 6 students will have a smoother transition into Year 7.
"I think a lot of children at Grade 6 are quite stressed about going off to a big, new school with a different culture in a new location, and I think it is awesome that you just go to a different building here.
“You’ve already got fantastic teachers and leaders, so it is about time you got the facilities to match.”
A small group of guests were treated to a tour of the new buildings on Friday, as it was a school day and classes were still being held.
The Education Precinct intends to hold “twilight tours” for the community in the near future.