Community Upset Over Devonport School Closure in Tasmanian Support School Consolidation
The Tasmanian Government is undertaking a major redevelopment of North West Support School. The redevelopment will provide new purpose-built learning facilities for students and staff, including an onsite hydrotherapy pool.
In 2022, the North West Support School Association Committee made a recommendation to the Department and the Minister for Education, Children and Youth that its preferred option was to consolidate the two existing campuses into a new single regional support school at Penguin.
While this decision was made with the best interests of the students and staff in mind, the closure of the Devonport School as part of the consolidation has sparked significant upset in the community. The Devonport School is an essential educational facility that provides support for students with special needs in the community. The closure has left many families and students feeling uncertain about their future and concerned about the impact it will have on their education and well-being.
The new site at Penguin is larger and can accommodate all current students, as well as future growth in enrolments. Additionally, the co-location and partnerships with a mainstream school and nearby regional sports and recreational facilities will provide more opportunities for learning and socialization for students.
The consolidation of the two existing campuses also removes the logistical challenges of operating geographically split campuses and enables the Department to concentrate learning and therapeutic support resources for students at one site. Both existing campuses are located on heavily constrained sites, and consolidation at Penguin removes the challenge of trying to accommodate student enrolment growth on these sites.
The Department has also committed to providing additional transport services for all currently enrolled students and their families to assist with travel to and from the Penguin site.
The Tasmanian Government has invited the public to provide feedback on the redevelopment of North West Support School at Penguin, including the closure of the Devonport School. Public consultation will be undertaken from 27 February to 6 April 2023, and interested individuals can provide their feedback via the provided link or by email. There will also be a community workshop held on 28 and 29 March 2023, from 3.30pm-5pm.
It is crucial that the voices of those impacted by the closure of the Devonport School are heard during this public consultation. The government should take into consideration the concerns and needs of the community while making any decisions regarding the future of education and support for students with special needs. The decision to close down the North West Support School and consolidate its two existing campuses has been made with the best interest of the students and staff in mind, and the new purpose-built learning facilities and co-location with a mainstream school will provide students with more significant facilities and a better learning experience. However, the impact of the Devonport School closure on the community must be taken into account, and steps should be taken to ensure that the transition to the new site at Penguin is as smooth as possible.
Learn more and have your say by visiting https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/project/north-west-support-school-devonport/