By Jeremy Sollars
TANNYMOREL State School won’t be closing any time soon, with public consultation over the proposed closure by the State Government scheduled to run for at least six months.
The tiny school set in the picturesque countryside east of Warwick between Yangan and Killarney has just one student, slipping down from two at the start of the 2016 school year.
The Department of Education axe has been hanging over “Tanny” for some years, with the school last escaping closure in September 2010, following a backflip by the former Bligh ALP Government shortly before that year’s state election.
Nearby Murrays Bridge State School was also under threat at that time and while it only has five current students its numbers have been stable since that time, while Tannymorel’s have dipped from 10 in 2012 and 2013 and down to eight in 2013 and four in 2014.
In late October current Education Minister Kate Jones released a ‘proposed permanent closure’ for Tannymorel school, which now opens up a potentially lengthy public consultation phase which will determine the ultimate fate of the school.
Many have questioned the wisdom of keeping the school open as it currently has more staff than students, with four permanent staff and two temporary, and with both Yangan and Killarney state schools a 20-minute drive away.
Under the Education Act 2016 the Minister must publish and gazette a “proposed permanent closure” which then invites public submissions from the school and surrounding community.
The Act states that no closure can be enacted earlier than six months after publication of the proposed closure, which means the Tannymorel school could remain open until mid-2017 or even longer, with the closure notice only published on Friday 21 October.
Back in 2010 the then ALP Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson announced Murrays Bridge and Tannymorel state schools would join 12 others from across Queensland and remain open following the completion of a “sustainability review”.
“What we have at these two schools is a shining example of communities that know their school and that care about the education of their children,” Mr Wilson said at the time.
“This is a fantastic result for a review designed to make sure our schools were delivering the best and the broadest education for students.
“Our position has always been that schools should stay open wherever possible, but that they should also be delivering a world-class education.”
If the Tannymorel school does eventually the close the site will most likely be put up for public sale, as was the case with the nearby Emu Vale school, which was closed in 2003 and is now a privately-owned function centre and tourist retreat.
A Department of Education spokesman this week told the Free Times that since the Minister’s publication of the proposed closure notice the department’s Darling Downs regional director would now lead “a consultation process” to give the community the opportunity to provide feedback around the future viability of the Tannymorel school.
“Once consultation has been finalised, the regional director will report the outcomes of the process to the Minister to make a final decision in relation to the permanent closure of the school,” the spokesman said.
“If a decision is made to close the school, staff will be supported to relocate to another state school.”
Interested parties can make a submission to the Department of Education and Training by email at: Enquiries.DDSW_TOOWOOMBA@dete.qld.gov.au
