The Dubbo organiser of the NSW Teachers’ Federation has urged the community to speak out if it wants changes to Dubbo College.
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Noel Creenaune is keenly anticipating the first meeting tomorrow of a committee charged with the task of considering the structure and operation of the college.
Mr Creenaune sees the community consultation process as the only chance for the community to say what it would “like for public secondary education in Dubbo”.
After months of agitation by the federation, the department established the consultation committee and last week scheduled the meeting with representatives from the college’s stakeholders.
Mr Creenaune is “positive” about the meeting and expects the committee’s terms of reference to be decided tomorrow.
“I’m looking forward to the meeting and moving forward,” he said.
He’s hopeful the terms of reference will include extensive consultation with the public.
“This is the time for parents of students who at the school or were at the school but have graduated or moved into the private system, teachers and ex-teachers to say what they would like for public secondary education in Dubbo,” he said.
“They’re the taxpayer and it’s time to tell the minister what they want.
“I doubt this chance would happen again.”
Former federation organiser in the Dubbo office Brett Bertalli put the college into the spotlight last year, claiming its structure contributed to high levels of truancy and low teacher retention, and Mr Creenaune has picked up the campaign.
“Over the years we’ve had hundreds of teachers contact us about the college and how they’d like it to be improved,” Mr Creenaune said.
He wants teachers to be “listened to” but the federation did not want to “sway the community”.
Dubbo was the only community in NSW where a Year 7 to 12 public school was not offered, he said.
Denison College at Bathurst had two stand-alone campuses in Bathurst and Kelso High Schools but both offered Year 7 to 12, he said.
The department has assembled a range of people on the
committee including Parents and Citizens (P&C) Committee representatives.
Dubbo College South Campus P &C president Rob van Dartel said yesterday he would attend the meeting and was interested to see what was decided.
