Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke has taken aim at failings within the NSW Transport Department that make it difficult for rural students to access their local school by bus and says they are pushing small country public schools to the brink She has pointed to Barmedman Public School as an example of facilities not serviced by a school bus, placing pressure on local families and risking the school’s future viability. According to Ms Cooke three school services are instead bypassing the only 40-kilometre school zone located outside Barmedman Public and collecting students along the busy Goldfields Highway to take them to Ariah Park, West Wyalong and Temora. “This arrangement is directly affecting where families choose to send their children,” she said. “The availability of school buses and the future viability of small schools like Barmedman are intrinsically linked. “If children can’t catch a school bus to attend a local school like Barmedman, what future does that school have? “And this isn’t an isolated issue. Right across the Cootamundra electorate, there are gaps in the school bus network that are impacting the very viability of our schools and, most importantly, the education of our children.” Barmedman Public School was recently saved from operational recess following pressure from residents, community leaders, and the local member. Bland Shire deputy mayor and Barmedman local Lisa Minogue said the loss of the school would have had an irreversible impact on students and the wider community. “It is so important that we keep our small schools open and an option for students,” Cr Minogue said. “If the school were to close, we’re going to have to put little children on buses where they’ll do over an hour of travel every day. “We’ve got children whose parents aren’t able to travel out of town, which means those children would miss having their parents experience their schooling adventure. “The school is the focus of our town, and if it weren’t here, it would take a huge chunk out of Barmedman.” As with many small towns the school is widely recognised as the social hub of the community, with students playing a significant role in community events, such as leading the local ANZAC Day service. The school itself continues to receive praise for its modern facilities, one-on-one learning environment and the dedicated staff who call Barmedman home. Ms Cooke is seeking assurances that the school continue to operate well into the future, calling on the transport minister to launch a review of the rural school transport network. She is also calling on the education minister to recognise the irreplaceable contribution of country schools to the growth and well-being of rural NSW. “Small communities matter, and so too do the schools that make up the beating heart of these communities,” Ms Cooke said. “If the NSW Government fails to fix the gaps in rural transport and give small schools a fair chance to succeed, families and resources will continue to be stripped from our towns and villages until there is little left to sustain them.
