The Bridgetown Camp School is on the verge of being closed down despite incredible community support to keep the service going.
The WA Government announced late last year that the Bridgetown facility was amongst six camp school sites that would be closed as part of sweeping education spending cuts that would provide $64million in savings.
The camp schools, including Bridgetown, Pemberton, Kalgoorlie, Dampier, Geraldton and Rockingham would all close for good from 2019.
Premier Mark McGowan and Education Minister Sue Ellery quickly back-flipped on the decision to close down the state’s School of the Air (SOTA), which was also part of the savings plan, following intense community backlash from families in isolated and rural areas, with the Premier saying that the decision caused too much anxiety and distress to too many West Australians.
Yet there is no planned reversal at this stage for the camp schools, which is causing much anxiety and distress amongst Bridgetown locals.
Community representative and local P&C school committee representative, Mrs Jo Moore, said the decision to close the camp school facility would not benefit anyone and would be detrimental to the health and well-being of students from all over the state.
“I don’t really see how they can save money by closing down this facility,” Mrs Moore said, “This service is pretty much fully self-funded and is usually booked out twelve months in advance.”
“This is a day and age when we should be encouraging children to get out of the classroom and be outside, learning in new environments.
This is exactly what the Bridgetown Camp School provides, yet the government has determined to close it down to save money, it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Mrs Moore has been coordinating a number of petitions within the community and online and is planning to pass these onto South West Minister Colin Holt to present to the Lower House.
“The community is really behind this and we will not give up,” Mrs Moore stated.
“This is a service that benefits so many within our community and from all over the state and we want it to stay, and stay under the umbrella of the Education Department.”
The Bridgetown Camp School provides learning opportunities and real world experiences that are not always possible in a conventional school setting.
The service provides opportunities for the development of self-management skills, interpersonal skills, critical and creative thinking skills, resulting in increased self-esteem and confidence for the students.
The facility also provides employment within the community to seven full-time and part-time staff members along with numerous casual instructors, and benefits the local economy throughout the year.
Bridgetown Greenbushes President Mr Tony Pratico said the impact on the community would be dreadful and he was hopeful that the situation might change.
“This has shocked the community as it benefits the locals as much as our visitors,” Mr Pratico said.
“Many of our own students utilise this service as part of their own education, as well as young people from the city who are given an opportunity to check out the county life and may one day choose to live in the country as young professionals.
“We are working very closely with the Manjimup Shire to try to ensure that both the Bridgetown and Pemberton camp schools remain open.”
