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Martins Creek Public parents wanting answers about whether the school will close at the end of the year are investigating how to sue the Department of Education and Communities.
Just over a fortnight before the end of term, parents Gina Goulder and Sue Coutts said they have “not even entertained the possibility’’ of sending their children to another school in 2016.
“It’s December next week, we’ve run out of time to enrol them at any other school,’’ Ms Goulder said.
“How can we move the kids at this late stage?
“[Public Schools NSW director] Andrew Eastcott asked the principal to ask us where our children were going next year.
“We’ve told them, ‘Martins Creek’.’’
Fairfax reported in November last year the DEC had discussed closing the school of six students as early as 2013.
Mr Eastcott was revealed to have emailed a colleague in February 2014 saying “unless a great storm strikes, the school will close’’, at the same time the DEC was telling the public a decision had not yet been made.
The DEC advised Fairfax Media in December last year the school would shut at the end of 2015.
A DEC spokesperson said the principal told parents about the closure at the same time.
But Ms Goulder said the DEC never directly communicated with parents to specifically discuss the school ceasing to exist.
Since then, a parliamentary inquiry has recommended Education Minister Adrian Piccoli reverse his decision, warning the removal of a student with complex needs could be psychologically harmful.
Ms Goulder said the DEC had offered only “deafening silence’’ in the two months since the recommendation.
“We’ve already been in limbo for more than a year,’’ she said.
“It’s very stressful and very hard.
“We’re waiting to see if there will be a bombshell that’s going to destroy Christmas and make it very difficult for us going into next year.’’
Inquiry chairman and Christian Democrat MP Paul Green appealed to about 20 members of cabinet ahead of their meeting this week.
He said he expected an announcement in coming days.
Mr Piccoli’s spokesperson said the government was considering the inquiry’s recommendations.
But Ms Goulder said she was so disillusioned by the DEC’s actions, she planned to send her son in year four to a non-public high school.
Parents are also investigating how to sue the DEC.
“It has stopped being about whether the school is going to stay open or closed, it’s now about the department behaving badly and doing terrible things to people it is supposed to serve.’’