SMALL PROBLEM: Parents are concerned Bolwarra Public School’s new hall is too small to cater for student numbers.
The size of Bolwarra Public School’s new hall has sparked concerns among parents because it is too small to accommodate the school’s 380 students.
The parents are unhappy the hall, built under the federal government’s Building the Education Revolution program, can house only half of the school’s students.
Parent Ivan Ross said the remaining students had to sit with parents and friends directly behind the hall in an undercover area, which is attached to the hall.
He said the school had to split the weekly award ceremonies into two sessions, which was a slap in the face because the original hall was not big enough either.
“We all thought it was good that we were getting a hall but when we saw what was built we realised it was not big enough to contain the school,” he said.
“If you’re going to spend the money to build something for the school you should build it big enough.
“The federal government should have taken care of the school – the hall is only half the size it should be.”
A NSW Department of Education and Communities spokesman said the hall was built to the schools facilities standards according to the enrolment of 380 students.
The spokesman said that there had been no complaints made to the school about the size of the hall.
“[There has] only been praise from parents about how functional it is, how it works so well with the rest of the school’s facilities and the quality of the work,” he said.
The spokesman said the hall opened out onto a new covered outdoor learning area where all students could gather completely under cover.
He said students or parents sitting in the outdoor area were still involved in the proceedings in the hall through a speaker system.
“The schools facilities standards specify the type and size of school learning spaces required for schools and the size of school halls depends on the enrolment of students,” the spokesman said.
Schools with 151 to 300 students receive a hall of 100 square metres, those with 301 to 500, like Bolwarra, receive a hall of 190 square metres and schools with 500 or more students receive a hall of 250 square metres.