Tuesday, 21 June 2022

 Ms VALLENCE (Evelyn) (14:43): (6418) My question is to the Minister for Education on behalf of the students, families and teachers at Birmingham Primary School in Mount Evelyn. Will you provide the much-needed funding to Birmingham Primary School for a new and adequate indoor gym facility? Currently the school has no indoor space that can accommodate all the teachers and staff in one location, and school assemblies or physical activities currently held outdoors are compromised when it is raining or stormy, as is often the case in Mount Evelyn. Birmingham Primary is an excellent local school and one of the largest schools in our community, with nearly 700 students. The current open-air court covers are totally inadequate and no longer fit for purpose. I have visited Birmingham Primary School many times, and given the shift to learning in larger and more ventilated spaces as a result of the pandemic, it makes sense to have a new indoor gym that could accommodate assemblies and physical activities during poor weather. Also this would provide a much-needed community hub in times of fire or storm emergency, an initiative supported by the local fire brigade. I ask the government to provide this much-needed funding for Birmingham Primary in Mount Evelyn.