On a visit today to Broken Hill Deputy Premier of NSW and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car reassured the community they would be fully consulted on the next steps for Willyama High School, once the assessment of the school site is completed.

Ms Car toured the three Broken Hill schools that have taken in students from Willyama, after the school site was closed for safety reasons by the NSW Department of Education, following a mould outbreak during the summer holidays.

Accompanied by the Member for Barwon Roy Butler, Ms Car noted that the community has a strong desire to maintain two local public high schools – Willyama High School and Broken Hill High School.

Ms Car met with the Willyama High School community, and thanked principals, teachers and staff from Broken Hill High School, Broken Hill North Public School and Morgan Street Public School for coming together to support and accommodate the students from Willyama.

The visit provided an opportunity to hear from teachers and students from Willyama and offer her thanks to teachers and staff, who worked swiftly over the school holidays to ensure students could return to face-to-face learning on Day 1, Term 1.

An independent hygienist is continuing their assessment of the school site, and the Department expects a report to be returned shortly.

The NSW Government is delivering a Willyama pop-up school so the school cohort can resume learning together at one site by the beginning of Term 2.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“We are awaiting the independent report on Willyama High School which will guide our decision on whether the school can be remediated safely or will need to be demolished.

“But I make a commitment to the community that we will consult them along the way and be transparent in our dealings with them. It is their school, and they have a right to know what is happening.

“If we need to build a new school then we will listen to the needs of the local community, including the community preferences for two public high schools in Broken Hill.

“I am pleased to have visited Broken Hill to meet with teachers, staff and students to see firsthand how they are responding to a difficult situation, and I am heartened by what I have seen – a community that has come together to help Willyama High School students continue their education.”