Wednesday, 4 March 2020

Mackellar Primary School

Ms HUTCHINS (Sydenham) (19:03): (1975) My adjournment tonight is for the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit Mackellar Primary School in the electorate of Sydenham—in fact just a few blocks from my electoral office. Mackellar Primary School has a high student population with special needs. One in six children has special needs at this primary school, and the school has made an extraordinary effort to attract these kids but also to give them ongoing support and the best education possible in our local area. With the assistance of over $330 000 from the Andrews Labor government, they are adjusting the facilities to accommodate the needs of these students so they are able to fully participate in their local learning environment.

Over the past two years the school has been working hard to install all-ability toilets, where children will no longer have to struggle to access basic toiletry and hygiene needs; automatic doors to allow kids to independently access the building so they can get an easier start to the day and access the school’s full facilities and classrooms; and further upgrades, such as better flooring and ramps, which have been planned for kids to get around. Soon works will begin at Mackellar to install a new accessible playground, and this will make a huge difference to the participation of kids, particularly those with disabilities but also the other kids at the school, so they are able to actively play on play equipment with their fellow students.

The school’s vision to empower every learner so that they can successfully engineer their own future is evident. Mackellar’s innovative curriculum creates opportunities for students to develop essential skills such as leadership, empathy, compassion and understanding. It has been really inspiring to see the work of the inclusion support workers, in particular Diana Darmanin and Anthony Michielin as well as the other teaching staff, and of course the school’s leadership under principal Matthew Borg and assistant principal David Cocks. They all work relentlessly to develop strong, well-rounded young kids who we are all very proud of. I look forward to the Minister for Education being able to visit.