11/08/2019
There were many questions arising from our community Meeting on 8th August 2019. The following questions have been passed on to our invited guests for consideration. Please comment below if you have other questions.
1) There is a new General Enrollment Procedures Policy, available from high school websites that was implemented on 22 July this year. It identifies enrollment caps and local enrollment buffers.
https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-documents/pd-2002-0006-01.pdf
a) How will this affect HPS students and their non- local enrollment applications to Bulli HS, next year and into the future?
b) Will these figures be identified on school websites to allow parents to make informed decisions on purchasing residential property, establishing families and community links so as to minimise disruption and stressful transitions into high school, similar to what was experienced this year?
c) Is this new policy which was last revised on the 20/12/18 a precursor for the decisions made that directly impacted the 2019 Year 6 cohort? .....pending response......... If so, why were they enforced prior to the implementation date of 22 July 2019- first day of Term 3?
2)
For more than 30 years the department of education has supported the wellbeing of our children geographically with two high schools. Debbie Lowe explained at our last P&C meeting that figures show in 2016, 31.5% of students went to Bulli High and 31.5% of students went to Heathcote High. We have demonstrated a longstanding need for two high schools. We have families who work south in Wollongong while other families work north in Sydney. Geographically our situation has not changed and will never change.
1. What steps can we take to get a policy in place that will officially recognise the ongoing practice of having two designated local high schools so that the geographic wellbeing of our students can be officially supported?
3) What is the department’s / government policy guiding decision about designating boundaries of local schools?
4) Helensburgh is part of the Illawarra - why are we cutting out the only school that is located in the Illawarra?
5) Looking into the future, we have the potential for Helensburgh itself to expand in a limited capacity, but with projected population growth and increased medium to high density housing in both Engadine and Heathcote. The reality for the DET is that in managing its resources and all of the elements in play, doesn't the longer term strategy mean that there will need to be adjustments to boundaries to our north in any case? And couldn't this mean that we are back to a situation where families need to readjust their expectations and arrangements yet again? Why don't we just circumvent unnecessary change and establish a formal policy of two high schools for Helensburgh residents, easing the eventual burden that Heathcote will need to support? Using Helensburgh as a short term stop gap 'numbers game' solution is NOT focussing on managing assets in a mature manner and is NOT about individual student well-being.
6) We have all seen the numbers here tonight and it's clear that the consistent enrolment flow has been equally distributed between the two high schools, for those taking up the public and non-selective school options. Being able to assess and manage resources, including human resources by treating the enrolments as in area surely makes more business sense to continue with this methodology than insisting that everyone - from the student and their family though to the schools, assess and juggle resources under the out of area policy. It's simply poor management. Citing over and over again the 'policy' won't change the reality for the families of Helensburgh who have, quite logically as we are part of the Illawarra, oriented their lives southward. Do you suggest that they move grandparents and extracurricular activities north to suit your policy? And when you need to change your policy because Heathcote and Engadine high schools reach capacity, what would you like them to do then?
7) When the Department uses phrases in its own policies like 'student well-being' - what do they actually mean by this? Do they mean collective well-being or are they genuinely interested in individual student needs? The latter seems to be being ignored to provide a short term stop gap solution to Heathcote High school resourcing issues, when there's a very obvious answer to that issue, but the department seems to lack the will to tackle the elephant in the room.
8) Was the DET’s change of policy which impacted this year’s year 6 cohort at the direction of the Minister or her office, or from any other Member of State Parliament?
9) When the Department deputised Debbie Lowe to address our year six parents and gave them assurances about our out of area applications, did they do so in the full knowledge that a change in policy was imminent? Did they set up their own staff representative to look as though they were attempting to deceive the citizens of Helensburgh?
10) When did the department, the Minister’s Office or any Member of Parliament first become aware of this supposed “error” in enrolment of students from Helensburgh?
Who first brought this to their attention?
11) What is the department’s policy to determine local catchment boundaries for schools? Is there a written policy? If so may we please have a copy.
12) How will the cap impact our students if they have legitimate reasons to apply out of area, but the cap has already been reached? Is their wellbeing less important than an arbitrary number?
13) What assurances can the department give our community going forward under the current policy that an implemented cap will not cause competition between students for “out of area” places in our tight knit community?
14) The department’s own wellbeing framework for schools (released in April 2015) states in its rationale that “Choice is important because it impacts positively on a student’s learning and engagement in schooling.”
How does the DOE reconcile this policy and its duty of care to HPS students with strong community links and extensive social and family networks in the Illawarra by forcing students to Heathcote?
15) What integration programs exist between HPS and schools to the north?
16) In the three domains of the DOE wellbeing policy which includes a commitment to foster environments to promote a sense of connection, success and opportunity to thrive, it states:
“Parents and the broader school community actively participate in the school and in helping students develop positive connections, support and reinforce learning enable aspiration of every student”
How does the department propose to honour these commitments by forcing students away from geographic, social and family networks in the Illawarra?
17) The education Department slogan for 2019 is “Every Student, every voice.” Is this false advertising or do our voices actually count?
19) We pay rates to Wollongong city council. Our children play sport in the Wollongong and Illawarra competitions and make friendships in those areas. We shop and do business in Wollongong. Why do we NOT have a choice to send our kids to Bulli High School?
20) Prior to 1987 the high school was Bulli High. Why would it suddenly change then be in Heathcote’s catchment?
21) I work in dental health in Helensburgh. Patients are required to attend at Piccadilly Arcade Wollongong. My kids play sport -Netball at Berkeley (local) from Helensburgh, Soccer (Helensburgh-Kiama) and cricket (Coledale home games). Also Illawarra. Why should we head to the Shire for secondary school?
22) Trains and Buses- Bulli HS students leave after Heathcote in the mornings, and arrive back slightly later. The times of trains for transport are equivalent Heathcote vs Bulli. There are no direct buses to either school. Apart from the morning and afternoon trains to Heathcote, during the day there are no direct trains to Heathcote from Helensburgh. Students are required to change at either Waterfall or Sutherland to continue to Heathcote lengthening what is already a long travel time. Given the location of Helensburgh train station, and the time it takes to reach the station by bus through narrow windy roads, the commute times for our kids are longer than most kids have to navigate to get to their LOCAL school. What will the department do to ensure our kids have easy and direct transport to their LOCAL schools?
23) My child attends Stanwell Park Public School. It was our choice to send him there based on the knowledge that he would be able to attend Bulli High School with his cohort. This change has affected his wellbeing already and will continue to do so in the future
