Keneally Breaks Promise on Dalwood

5 February 2010

Shadow Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli today said Kristina Keneally’s failure to honour her promise to save Dalwood and Palm Avenue Assessment Centre showed she was more concerned with photo opportunities than helping out the State’s children.

In one of her first acts as Premier, Kristina Keneally promised to delay the closure of Dalwood and Palm Avenue Assessment Centre, a school for children from rural and remote areas with severe learning disabilities.

However, as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald today, the boarding school and residential facilities have been shut, several staff have been made redundant and parents have been left confused over the future of the school.

Mr Piccoli said the Premier’s failure to honour her promise would leave dozens of children and their families in the lurch.

"One of Kristina Keneally's first promises as Premier was to intervene in Dalwood, but with everything in shambles and the school's future still up in the air, it's clear she’s broken that promise,” Mr Piccoli said.

"This is classic State Labor: making a big announcement to the media, but then failing to follow it up with any meaningful action.

"This goes to show that State Labor are more concerned with photo opportunities and media stunts than they are with helping the State’s neediest children.

“State Labor have the wrong priorities in education, preferring to stigmatise the State’s struggling children through the publication of school league tables rather than helping those children through targeted programs such as those offered at Dalwood and Palm Avenue.

“Despite the denials of the Minister for Education, parents still have no certainty beyond the end of the middle of this year.

“Unlike Labor, the Liberals & Nationals’ Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan will improve the basic skills of children who need it most.

“In Government we will commit $250m to providing an additional 900 teachers to help develop the literacy and numeracy skills of children in years K-2.

“This is another positive practical plan that will ensure out education system is based on equity, as well as excellence.”