Mayhem at merged school say parents

By Jonathon Howard

DISTRAUGHT PARENTS say they are at their wits end with the forced merger of Murwillumbah’s four public schools and they’re taking their concerns to the media.

Several families have come forward in the past fortnight to reveal shocking stories of student violence, property damage, anxiety, vaping, peer pressure, vandalism, alleged drug use, and threats towards teachers, in what one parent described as an “out-ofcontrol situation”.

The parents are now desperately hoping a Labor government can take power in NSW to reverse the merger decision.

This is the first term that Murwillumbah’s two high schools have combined to form the Murwillumbah Learning Community High School.

Wollumbin High was selected by the state government as the interim location for the new high school while the former Murwillumbah High is undergoing a redevelopment.

The merger is combining students from two different cultures with devastating results, according to local parents, who are now fearful for their children’s’ safety.

It should be noted that none of the parents wanted to be named in this report as they were fearful of any repercussions to their children from their peers or from the NSW Department of Education.

“My child gets a lot of peer pressure to vape if he goes to the toilet almost every day,” a parent told The Weekly.

“There are regular fights at school, in fact there’s a dust up most days.

“It’s created terrible anxiety for my child and there’s no end in sight.”

The parent said one student was allegedly attacked by five other students on the school grounds in what she described as “horrific scenes” of violence.

“One student had five other students bash him in the second week of school, which was allegedly out of retaliation after a fight broke out in Knox Park prior,” the parent said.

“They were allegedly kicking this boy in the head on the ground in what would’ve been terrible and traumatising scenes.”

There are further reports of a student or students setting a toilet on fire by stuffing toilet paper into the bowl and igniting it.

Several parents are now considering withdrawing their children from the school as they believe the merger is not leading Tweed Valley kids towards better educational outcomes.

One parent said the different culture from Murwillumbah High was clashing with the Wollumbin High culture and the results are “devastating for everyone, teachers included”.

“A lack of uniforms is also creating divisions,” a parent said.

“While some students continue to wear Murwillumbah High uniforms and some wear casual attire, it’s creating confusion and division.

“I think the perception is that Wollumbin High students still believe it’s their school and Murwillumbah High is invading.

“There are also (alleged) reports of a teacher being struck by a student.”

A parent who attended a recent swimming carnival for the seniors at TRAC Murwillumbah said she was shocked by the students’ behaviour.

“We felt for the teachers as the students could not be controlled,” the parent said.

“The students were giving the teacher and pool staff the finger, they were swearing and failing to comply with any directions. I felt so sorry for the teachers.

“A student even (allegedly) threatened to stab a female teacher after a recent school swimming carnival.

“I think it comes down to a lack of authority that they have over the kids, which is Education Department related.”

The parents again directed the blame towards the school merger for the disruptions and said many parents are now reconsidering their options, including private schooling.

“I do not agree with this school merger and despite Minister Sarah Mitchell’s view, they have still not provided any evidence to prove there’s any educational benefits for these children,” she said.

The parent is now hopeful for a change in the NSW Government to urgently reverse the merger and find a better way to structure public education for the Tweed Valley.

“Everybody knows that Murwillumbah High needed an upgrade, but keeping all four schools open is the promise from Labor and that’s the one I’m backing,” the parent said.

The parents said they believe many of the incidents are being “swept un- der the rug”.

“Let’s face it, it is an election year, and there’s a need not to rock the boat,” the parents agreed.

The parents felt the Department of Education is “misleading the public in the process of merging the schools”.

“I think the Teachers Federation would attest to that,” the parents agreed.

Another parent, who again did not want be named, described the new merged school as “hectic” and “crowded”.

“As a parent of a neurodivergent child and a young person with anxiety, I value the quiet and calm of smaller school environments,” the parent said.

“The beautiful spacious grounds of our four existing local schools allow opportunity for nature, space and spontaneous movement.

“Not all young people are going to thrive in a large, crowded, hectic environment and we have found ourselves forced into the private school system.

“I can’t really afford this financially, but in terms of my children’s future, I can’t really afford not to.”

Another parent, who again preferred not to be named, has already withdrawn a student from the newly merged high school due to “safety concerns” and “education disruptions”.

“In my opinion there is a lack of structure within the curriculum at the Murwillumbah Community Learning High School and a lack of communication across the board within the school system,” the parent said.

“In fact, even when I signed my child out of the school, it was an atrocious process.”

The parent was able to secure another high school within Murwillumbah and is pleased with the move.

The parent said her child felt “unsafe” with the toilet situation, the use of vapes and peer pressure to vape.

“The vaping was present in the previous school, but certainly not to the extent that it is now,” the parent said.

YOUR THOUGHTS: Do you have an experience with the new merged school that you would like to share?

You can remain anonymous. Please email or phone the editor via editor@ theweekly.net.au or 0447 300 258.