SA girls' education under threat
By Philippa Stanford
ADELAIDE — One hundred people attended a meeting on February 16 to protest against the proposed closure of Port Adelaide Girls High School (PAGHS) at the end of 1995. The announcement was made on January 24 (two days before school was to begin for the year) by state education minister Rob Lucas, on "economic" grounds.
There has been an air of uncertainty surrounding the school since the government produced the "western suburbs review", which recommended that PAGHS be closed or moved to the West Lakes campus. This, combined with the Education Department's failure over a number of years to provide a tenured principal, led to a decrease in enrolments.
In 1995, however, the school recorded its highest ever number of year eight enrolments.
Despite these problems PAGHS, one of only three single-sex schools in the state, has been very successful in overcoming educational barriers faced by many young women from minority and marginalised groups.
In 1994 the school provided an education for its 21% of students with disabilities, 15% of Nunga students and 27% of students from non-English speaking backgrounds. In addition the school provided a special course for 41 young mothers as well as on-site creche care. The school is well regarded in the area for giving young women opportunities they would not get anywhere else.
Other women's services are being cut in the area, such as the Dale Street Health Services and the Riverland Women's Shelter.
The meeting formed a Port Adelaide Girls High School Support Group to plan the campaign to keep the school open. Messages of support can be sent to Port Adelaide Girls High School, Portland Rd, Port Adelaide.
The Liberal government is being exposed for imposing cuts in other areas of education. Teachers and students from five northern suburbs schools went on strike between 8.30 and 9.30 on the morning of February 16. They protested outside the Elizabeth offices of the Education Department as a result of staffing cuts at Craigmore High School.
Two weeks into the first term, schools were asked to "shed" staff. Students from Craigmore pointed out that they are being forced into combined year classes because of a lack of teachers and have to reduce their subject choices.