Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations of New South Wales

Ph: 1300 885 982 Fax: 1800 655 866

Physical Resources

Section 11: Physical Resources
A: SITES AND BUILDINGS

PREMISE 11A (a)

To fulfill a major part of the needs of education it is essential to have well designed and maintained buildings on suitable and adequate sites providing sufficient classroom accommodation, modern equipment, specialist rooms, amenities and facilities of the highest standard. The DET, in conjunction with the Department of Planning, must ensure that adequate areas of suitable land for educational purposes are reserved in the plans for every Shire and Municipality, particularly in new residential subdivisions. The area reserved should be large enough to include one full oval and two football ovals, as well as the normal playground areas.

PREMISE 11A (b)

The responsibility for establishing the basic philosophy of a particular school must be devolved to a local committee which includes a representative from the school's P&C Association and has access to private or Government professional planning advice to formulate the educational specifications for the school. Facilities should be established in each Regional Office to allow all future building of new schools and renovations and extensions to existing schools to be designed locally by officers familiar with individual school and community needs working in consultation with the local communities.

PREMISE 11A (c)

So as to protect the well-being of children using educational facilities, the State Government should legislate to require Local Government Authorities to zone the areas surrounding schools in such a way as to exclude any future development which will, or has the potential to, adversely affect the education, welfare or safety of students attending such schools.

POLICY

11.1 When planning a new school or major additions to an existing one local people are generally better qualified, through their knowledge of local conditions, to understand the requirements of a particular school area. In the preparation of such schemes the advice and assistance of local P&C associations should be encouraged wherever possible.

11.2 Once land has been allocated or obtained for school purposes, the DET should evolve, in each case, a scheme for continuity in development of building areas and grounds beautification. Initial landscaping and tree planting should begin as soon as possible after the land is reserved, taking into account the sites of future buildings.

11.3 Co-operation between government departments is essential to ensure that school sites are located with every consideration borne in mind, including availability of transport, traffic hazards, flooding and other natural hazards, and municipal services.

11.4 In respect of established schools, the DET has a responsibility to ensure, by purchase of additional land where necessary, that each school has sufficient ground space for recreational purposes. The minimum area for new schools should be two hectares for primary schools and six hectares for secondary schools.

11.5 All departments of any school should be housed on a single site and not fragmented and separated by distance and/or busy roads resulting in costly duplication of services and equipment, dangers to students moving between sections of the school, and increased burdens on parent bodies.

11.6 Where a school is on a split site, the DET should, in conjunction with the parents' organisations, take special consideration of classroom establishments, administrative efficiencies and the developmental needs of the students.

11.7 P&C Federation urges that all significantly split site schools be funded by the DET on the basis of two separate schools.

11.8 Outlets that allow for the sale and consumption of alcohol on their premises are viewed by the P&C Federation as potentially hazardous to student welfare and out of place in the school environment. They should not be allowed to operate close to schools.

11.9 P&C Federation strongly opposes the closure of any school with existing adequate facilities until wholly satisfactory facilities can be supplied elsewhere in the area.

11.10 P&C Federation strongly opposes the sale of any public land becoming free for such sale after a school closes. Furthermore, P&C Federation believes there should be an open inquiry into the potential means of ensuring adequate provision of land for the long term survival of public education.

11.11 P&C Federation strongly resists the resumption of school ground by local or State authorities.

11.12 Public recreation grounds should be made available free to schools for non-profit making sporting activities.

11.13 The planning of school buildings must take into account forecasts of school population growth trends. The DET must ensure co-ordination between all public authorities affected by the construction of new schools and alterations and/or additions to existing schools.

11.14 The Public Works Department, being the constructing and major prepaid authority for school buildings, must ensure that:

(a) specifications are prepared and tenders are called for and let to allow building contractors adequate time to ensure new buildings are ready for children assigned to them, contractors being subject to a late-completion penalty;

(b) all government contracts are let only to contractors or sub contractors with adequate material and financial resources to complete contracts satisfactorily;

(d) minor repairs are carried out expeditiously.

11.15 The DET should furnish P&C Federation with details of capital works priorities for each ensuing year.

11.16 The school building program should embrace the following minimum requirements:

(a) Temporary and portable structures should be urgently replaced by permanent accommodation;

(b) The provision of assembly halls or multipurpose centres providing adequate accommodation for school functions, examinations etc. in all schools. Such halls or centres must be provided from the DET funds as they are an essential requirement for the education of school students and will be available for community use in line with the Government's proposals for greater community involvement with our schools;

(d) Suitable accommodation specifically designed for senior students in Secondary Schools.

(e) Classrooms in all schools, together with any additional areas used for examinations and similar tasks, must be provided with lighting installed in accordance with Australian Standard Code CA30 and subsequent amendments;

(f) Classrooms with a high noise level, e.g. Music, Craft, and Industrial Arts, should be located away from other quieter classrooms;

(g) Air-conditioning, allowing both heating and cooling should be installed in all school buildings, old and new, temporary and permanent, using either central units or individual room units, together with adequate insulation. The needs of each school should be assessed individually, rather than relying on lines drawn on a map to divide the State into climatic zones;

(h) Adequate libraries and associated storerooms and work-rooms must be included in all schools, including primary schools;

(i) Properly designed specialist Art and Craft rooms fitted with benches, shelves, cupboards, sinks and essential equipment must be provided in all schools, primary and secondary so that such activities as woodcraft, leatherwork, strip and sheet metal work and clay modeling can be taught;

(j) Sheltered walkways should be provided for the use of staff and students moving between buildings;

(k) Adequate playground seating, sealed assembly areas, food preparation areas, a gymnasium, bicycle racks, weather sheds, lockers, coat racks for wet-weather gear, storage facilities for school stores and equipment, and insect-screens for windows and doors should all be provided;

(l) Schools in high-temperature areas should also be provided with refrigerated water coolers; and

(m) Public address systems should be provided, along with additional wiring for future expansion of communications between buildings and classrooms as technology changes.

11.17 If it is unavoidable that school activities have to take place in rented accommodation, the DET must bear all associated costs and the accommodation must have adequate lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation and safety features.

11.18 The common practice of housing students of new schools on the sites of existing schools should be avoided at all times. The DET, as client, must insist on completion of building programs by specific dates which allow a new school to begin its life in its own buildings. The Department of Public Works, as supervisor of the building contract, must be more responsible and aware of the needs of its client in this regard.

11.19 If the use of demountables is unavoidable, they must be adequately insulated against temperature extremes and against noise transmission; be correctly oriented; be protected from the direct sun; be properly sealed against leaks; and be properly installed and connected to all services.

11.20 Minimum standards be set for demountable buildings and the assessment, upgrade or replacement of demountable buildings be reviewed on a biennial basis and those older than seven years be reviewed annually and that, where appropriate, the demountables be replaced.

11.21 All schools should have facilities for the disabled as an integral part of their plans in line with the present policy of integration. All new schools must be designed with this in mind and existing schools should be upgraded as soon as possible, certainly before any students with disabilities are integrated into that particular school.

11.22 All government schools in NSW should be fitted with electronic surveillance equipment and should be connected to a security patrol service located within such a distance to allow for a rapid response. Exterior lighting and patrols by police or other appropriate personnel should also be considered.

11.23 The DET should make special funds available to regions where school populations are increasing rapidly, for the express purpose of modernising existing school buildings.

11.24 The Teacher Housing Authority should be asked to modify its specifications so as to include consideration of the provision of transportable homes and purchase of existing homes. The Authority should be funded at a level that allows it to provide adequate accommodation for teaching staff in areas where housing is in short supply.

B: MAINTENANCE

PREMISE 11B

Since school buildings and facilities are a considerable investment of public funds, planned preventative maintenance by the DET is essential to protect this investment. Realistic funding provisions must be made for maintenance, replacement and upgrading of all government schools and this is totally the responsibility of the DET.

POLICY

11.25 Public education is the responsibility of the State Government and P&C Associations should strive to have the Government assume its full responsibilities before deciding to undertake major works and incur major expenditure themselves. The DET has the responsibility to:

(a) renovate and repair older school buildings, including out-buildings such as weather sheds and toilet blocks, to bring them up to modern standards;

(b) fence all schools;

(c) provide a school gardening service or, alternatively reimburse schools or P&C Associations for expenses they incur in providing lawn mowing etc.;

(d) fund school grounds maintenance on the basis of the needs of each school rather than on school classification;

(e) provide for the cleaning of drains and toilets and not expect students or teaching staff to carry out these duties; and

(f) provide for building care and minor maintenance by either providing suitable ancillary staff or paying a subsidy to enable the school to employ local tradesman.

(g) each public school be provided with modern toilets that meet the health, building and hygiene standards which are required by the building code required for all new buildings.

11.26 The DET and the Australian Heritage Commission have a responsibility to provide separate funding of maintenance of Heritage Listed Schools where specialised materials and craftsmen are required.

C: FIRE AND GENERAL SAFETY

PREMISE 11C

Principals, teachers, students, parents and all others connected with government schools should be keenly aware of fire and other safety issues, should work to make the school environment as safe as possible, and should be aware of procedures in the event of an emergency.

POLICY

11.27 With regard to fire safety, the Principal, being responsible for safety at the school level, should ensure that:

(a) a staff member is designated to supervise and manage fire protection at the school;

(b) evacuation drill procedures are held at least annually, with special provision for disabled students and with special provision for new students to learn the procedures early in their time at the school;

(c) checks on equipment are carried out each term with complete documentation of alarm bells, hydrants, hoses, extinguishers, fire blankets, sprinklers, valves, water supplies, fire escapes and any other fire-fighting equipment;

(d) emergency exits are clearly marked, doors correctly hung and alternative escape routes, i.e. fire escapes, available;

(e) storage of flammable materials complies with statutory requirements;

(f) emergency care provisions are available in case of injuries; and

(g) staff training in fire management occurs and that literature on all safety procedures in the school is readily available to all staff.

11.28 In addition, the Principal should ensure that:

(a) evacuation procedures in the case of bomb threats, and the manner in which the decision to evacuate is to be made, are clearly defined and understood by all staff;

(b) evacuation procedures and other action in the case of chemical spills, gas leaks and similar occurrences both within the school and in the surrounding area are clearly defined; and

11.29 Rainwater storage tanks in country schools should be large enough to cater for both drinking and other day-today purposes, and for fire-fighting purposes.

11.30 All portable kerosene heaters in schools should be replaced urgently by safe methods of heating.

11.31 P&C Federation urges the DET to develop strategies for teachers and students on procedures for protection in situations of crowd hysteria and public alarm.

11.32 All children attending government schools in NSW are entitled to a safe, practicable walking route to and from school. Such routes should be provided after discussion within the whole school community and with outside bodies such as local councils.

11.33 The DET should take preventative measures to protect all students when in school buildings from the effects of industrial, automobile and noise pollution. Attempts should also be made to work with other authorities to reduce pollution in school grounds.

11.34 The DET should put into place the following structures and procedures relating to safety in schools:

(a) Safety Committees, including parent representatives, in all schools with twenty or more employees as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983;

(b) similar committees or equivalent structures in smaller schools, even though not legally required under the Act;

(d) school recognition of obligations to persons other than employees under the Act; and

(e) annual Departmental certification of compliance with the Act and reports to the Auditors-General of all instances of non-compliance.

D: EQUIPMENT AND TEXTBOOKS

PREMISE 11D

In order to give full meaning to equality of educational opportunity, to safeguard the physical and mental welfare of students, and for the complete education of children in government schools, the provision, maintenance and security of furnishings, equipment, stationery and associated services of the highest standard are essential.

POLICY

11.35 The Federation believes there are occupational, health and safety issues related to the use of recycled rubber tyre and rubber product in school playgrounds. They are an injury and allergy risk and a potential haven for dangerous spiders and needle stick and razor injuries.

11.36 While the provision of basic equipment and supplies is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Training, parents and citizens have a right to participate in the decision leading to their purchase and introduction into schools.

11.37 Adequate staffing, referred to in Section 9 of this Policy, must be matched by the provision of the most modern equipment after full consultation with the local P&C association. There must also be prompt replacement of, and convenient repairs to, equipment which has been lost, stolen or damaged.

11.38 The State Government should allocate funds for the supply, maintenance and renewal of major items of essential equipment (e.g. photocopiers and computers for administrative purposes) in schools, and such funding should be separate from per capita grants.

11.39 When any school has a building addition due to an increased enrolment or the addition of specialist facilities an appropriate equipment grant should be made. Adequate Establishment Grants should be made to all new schools.

11.40 Provision, installation and maintenance of standardized audio-visual equipment must be provided from Departmental funds, as should associated materials and consumables and any staff needed to operate and maintain the equipment. Each Educational Resource Centre should have the resources, including personnel, to assist teachers make the most of the audio-visual aids at their disposal.

11.41 Each school student needs to have suitable textbooks or other printed material available for use throughout the school year. It is recognised in a system that encourages diversity that standardisation of textbooks is undesirable and that a range of texts should be available with individual schools and teachers having discretion as regards purchases. A textbook allocation is thus necessary for each primary and secondary school to ensure purchases can be made and material kept up to date.

11.42 Suitable action should be taken to ensure that text and reference books needed for teaching are readily available:

(a) by the establishment of contract arrangements for the purchase of books through the Q Stores where this is convenient to the school;

(b) by publication of textbooks sponsored by the Department or Foundations on a non-profit basis to compete freely with commercially published books;

(c) by arranging for a textbook exchange to be established to allow schools which have surplus or unused textbooks to exchange them for others or for credits; and

(d) by indexing the present Text Book Allowance to the CPI and extending similar provisions to primary schools.

E: LIBRARIES

PREMISE 11E

First-class, well planned, well stocked and well staffed libraries are essential in infants, primary and secondary schools if children are to develop positive attitudes to methods of learning which will meet their present and future needs. Such libraries should be established and maintained from public funds, should be of a satisfactory standard and should be available for use at times convenient for their users. Modern concepts of the library as a learning resources centre providing information in many formats should be the basis of school library management, planning and future development.

POLICY

11.43 Libraries should carry stocks of resource materials of all types, including books and periodicals, audio-visual media and other sources of information. Audio-visual hardware and resource materials should be readily available to satisfy student and teacher needs and adequate space for hard/software for computerised data storage and retrieval provided.

11.44 Libraries in most Government Schools need further development and should be urgently improved to at least the standards set down by the Library association of Australia. This will involve:

(a) a large expenditure on accommodation and stock in infants and primary schools and reinstatement of a Commonwealth Library Grants program;

(b) provision of generous Establishment Grants for all new schools. Supplementary Grants for existing schools and then adequate annual grants to maintain and develop collections;

(c) the review and possible improvement of the system of training for Teacher/Librarians, including both pre-service and in-service training;

(d) provision of books required frequently by teachers for their professional development, either in school libraries if demand is great enough, or in Educational Resource Centres;

(e) revision of the teacher education curriculum so that teachers understand the role of the school library as a learning resource centre and provision of similar in-service courses for existing teachers;

(f) extension of hours of opening libraries where possible and demanded;

(g) support facilities for school libraries in Regional Offices and or Educational Resource Centres;

(h) full-time library-assistants and audio-visual assistants for all large primary school libraries as well as for those of secondary schools; and

(i) adequate space to enable expansion in computerised data storage and retrieval.

11.45 P&C associations should be encouraged, in conjunction with their schools, to set up separate Parents' Sections in their school libraries to contain material relevant to educational policies and philosophies.

F: TRANSPORT

PREMISE 11F

Free transport should be provided for all government school students to their nearest, accessible and appropriate government school and, whilst enrolled at school, include transport to VET, TAFE and training facilities as required. The safety of children going to and from school is of paramount importance and shall be afforded the highest priority in any town or transport planning.

POLICY

11.46 The NSW Government should:

(a) Provide a transport subsidy only to the nearest and appropriate and accessible public school, VET, TAFE or training facility; that travel beyond that point be on a user pays basis; that this change be implemented for all new enrolments and funds saved be redirected to government schools.

(b) Free transport should be provided for travel between public school campuses, public school campuses and VET venues and Vet venues and the students' home, to all school students whose timetabled study hours extend outside the normal school transport times and/or whose study and training for VET courses involves travel to venues off the school site.

(c) ensure that when expressways, highways and priority road systems are being planned, built, upgraded or rebuilt, an overhead walkway or subway underpass be investigated to give access to any school, and such walkways be included in the costing;

(d) consult the local community, school parent groups and the education authorities when road priorities are changed:

(e) promote the building of cycle tracks and the extension of the shared footpath concept;

(f) ensure that all government schools have safe pedestrian access;

(g) develop a wide range of alternative safety measures which can be installed at schools on main roads, where installation of the 40kph zone is not able to be approved by the local traffic authority, and provide funding to appropriate authorities to implement safety measures at each school after consultation with the school community;

(h) ensure that new government schools and, where possible, existing schools have bus bays and safe turning bays incorporated in their design;

(i) ensure that all factors, not just numbers of students are considered when rationalising bus routes;

(j) ensure that all buses now required to carry "CAUTION SCHOOL BUS" signs do so at all required times and in such a position and of such a size as to be clearly visible from twice the distance for reading a standard number-plate;

(k) ensure that all buses are fitted with flashing lights that must be activated at all times when school children are loading and unloading;

(l) ensure consultation with the local community when negotiating new conveyancing contracts and ensure that any new contracts contain contingency plans to deal with breakdowns;

(m) introduce legislation requiring lap-sash seat-belts be fitted to all new buses bought after 1993;

(n) introduce legislation requiring all buses to have safety features installed to minimise risk of injury to school children;

(o) ensure no school student shall be required to stand on school buses;

(p) ensure that school buses are not scheduled so as to compel infants and primary school aged children to arrive at schools more than half an hour before school commences;

(q) ensure that all school bus routes be good, safe, all-weather roads;

(r) provide bus shelters at bus bays or outside school grounds where no bus bay exists; and

(s) investigate the necessity for air conditioning on buses in high-temperature areas of the State;

11.47 School children when traveling to or from school, or to or from school-based activities, shall be allowed access to any relevant scheduled bus traveling to their destination. At the same time, those buses now reserved for school children should be made available for inclusion in the timetables for the general traveling public.

11.48 It shall be an offence for a bus-driver to refuse a school student free transport on his/her bus because the child is not in possession of a free pass, although the bus company has every right to request that a pass be shown at the next available opportunity or be replaced if lost.

11.49 A speed limit 40kph zone for all schools, pre-schools and childcare centres should be instituted from 6.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday, and this should be pursued by them with the local road traffic authority.

11.50 All buses must pull completely off the carriage-way when loading or unloading passengers. All buses stop ONLY where it is safe to do so.

11.51 When school transport is disrupted by industrial action rail and bus passes should become interchangeable.

11.52 All suburban trains carrying school children should have automatically closing doors.

11.53 Where the Government envisages a cancellation or review of transport passes there should be prior consultation with the whole school community.

11.54 Regardless of abode, the private bus rate for transport passes should be closely related to public transport charges.

11.55 The payment of government subsidy for private travel to school should be based on the cost of car travel in each individual case, rather than on a per capita basis.

11.56 All necessary action should be taken to ensure that apprentices and technical college students be granted traveling concessions.

11.57 Where a school-leaver can show proof of an appointment for an employment interview he or she should receive one return rail concession.

11.58 A total sequential Road Safety Program from K-12 should be developed so that:

(a) infants/primary children can be instructed on safe practices with regards to the use of roads and footpaths by pedestrians, cyclists and all vehicles while recognising that these children might not be able to put this education into practice when unsupervised;

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(b) the next generation of drivers develops attitudes to road safety that will lead to safer driving practices;

(d) all schools should conduct a bus-safety program in conjunction with the K-12 Road Safety Policy, emphasising safe practices in relation to bus safety.

Action Items

1. That P&C Federation requests the Department of Education and Training implement the recommendation of the Vinson Inquiry related to building maintenance and improvements. This includes, but is not limited to, air conditioning of all classrooms and appropriate access to school buildings for mobility impaired students, staff and parents. (2003)

2. That P&C Federation asks the Minister of Transport for a funding commitment to the school bus scheme contracts so that school students will have return travel from home to school without standing. (2003)

3. That P&C Federation asks the Minister of Transport for a binding commitment in the school bus contracts and relevant legislation so that school students will have return travel without standing. (2003)

4. That P&C Federation calls on the Department of Education and Training to conduct a full review of current school cleaning allocations and standards in order to establish the degree of satisfaction of current cleanliness from staff working in schools and the students. (2003)

5. That in the interest of promoting public education the P&C Federation calls on the Department of Education and Training, as a matter of urgency, to bring all public schools up to the current code standards of new schools. (2003)

6. That P&C Federation requests the Department of Education and Training to install fly screens for the protection of students and staff in those public schools located in areas where mosquitoes are prevalent and that the Department be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the screens. (2003)

7. That P&C Federation demands that the Minister for Transport review the criteria for the School Students' Transport Subsidy Scheme to allow for the provision of free transport for students attending the Department of Education and Training Behavioural Tutorial Centres held at venues other than their home school. (2003)

8. That P&C Federation call on the Department of Education and Training to carry out as a matter of urgency the upgrading of all electrical needs at each school with particular attention being given to accommodate the installation of air conditioning. (2003)

9. That P&C Federation most urgently requests Department of Education and Training to inspect all schools with Liquid Petroleum Gas tank gas supplies, and install accessible gas supply isolation valves adjacent to all rooms supplied with Liquid Petroleum gas with the utmost urgency (if the isolation valves are absent) (2003)

10. That Department of Education and Training ensure that the school toilets meet public health standards by supplying suitable hand soap or similar for students to use at all schools. (2003)

11. That P&C Federation call on the Minister for Education and Training to establish a building code for senior colleges in NSW. (2003)

12. That in the interest of promoting public education P&C Federation calls on the Department of Education and Training, as a matter of urgency, to bring all public schools up to the current code standards for new schools. (2003)

13. That P&C Federation calls on the Department of Education and Training when changes are allowed to be made to the use of school land by outside agencies, such as local governments or the National Parks and Wildlife Service, that funding be provided for internal fencing by these agencies before these changes are made, to ensure that there will be no input through the schools global budget. (2003)

14. That P&C Federation requests the Department of Education and Training to install fly screens for the protection of students and staff in those public schools located in areas where mosquitoes are prevalent. (2003)

15. That the Department of Education and Training be requested to investigate safe appropriate mosquito eradication programs for use within schools. (2003)

16. That P&C Federation calls on the Department of Education and Training to install and maintain air conditioning, allowing both heating and cooling, in all school buildings, old and new, temporary and permanent, using either central units or individual room units, together with adequate insulation. The needs of each school should be assessed individually, rather than relying on lines drawn on a map that divides the State into climatic zones and immediate priority should be given to those schools with classrooms which experience temperatures in excess of 27 degrees Celsius. (2003)

17. That Physical Resources Policy 11.44(n) be pursued as an Action Item. (2003)

18. That P&C Federation demands that the State Government increases the General Operations Grants to all public primary and secondary schools to an amount which is sufficient to provide each student at every school with all of the materials and equipment needed for the curriculum they are studying in each year of their education from Kindergarten to Year 12. (2003)

19. That P&C Federation demands the New South Wales Government introduce flashing lights which operate on school days at 40 km/h speed zones. (2003)

20. That P&C Federation discuss with the Department of Education and Training the current problems being experienced by NSW government schools stemming from unwise/inappropriate choice of cooling and heating and inappropriate maintenance of current facilities. (2004)

21. That P&C Federation requests the Department of Education and Training to review the current cooling and heating systems in government schools and, where applicable, provide adequate funding to upgrade these systems in line with Australian Building Codes. As part of this review, the Department of Education and Training needs to include the issues of lack of ceiling insulation in older buildings and poor outdated electrical systems with antiquated wiring. Any money required to upgrade or update systems in order to meet these needs must be sourced from a separate funding plan and not from the school’s current global budget. (2004)

22. That P&C Federation insists Smart Card for student transport be introduced as a matter of urgency, including in Regional areas. (2004)

23. That Federation initiates that secondary students have bus passes to access curriculum whenever and wherever it is held, not just to attend a particular school. (2004)

24. That P&C Federation calls on the State Government to introduce flashing lights to alert road users to the existence of 40 km/h zones. (2004)

25. That P&C Federation asserts that all school toilets meet modern standards of hygiene including the provision of soap and toilet paper. In particular, toilets with cubicles made of timber must be replaced with modern hygienic facilities. (2004)

26. That P&C Federation calls on the Department of Transport to issue transport passes to any student of a government school where other means of travel expose the student to a safety risk, irrespective of the radial distance between their home and school. (2004)

27. That P&C Federation requests the Minister for Transport to ensure that all children traveling to and from schools on buses are seated at a ration of one child per licensed seat. (2004)

28. That P&C Federation requests the Minister for Transport to ensure that all bus companies transporting children to and from schools be required to plan their bus routes so that school buses put down and pick up students on the same side of the street as the school they attend. (2004)

29. That P&C Federation calls on the Minister for Education and Training and the Minister for Local Government to ensure roads, drains and footpaths which surround public schools be upgraded as a matter of urgency and that funds be supplied by the State Government to local councils to enable this to occur. (2004)

30. That P&C Federation calls on the Department for Education and Training to provide adequate seating for all students in all playgrounds and Covered Outdoor Learning Areas (COLA’s) in all public schools, in accordance with the Departments stated commitment to meeting the needs of each child. (2004)

31. That P&C Federation requests the Department of Education and Training to ensure the Occupational, Health and Safety guidelines are implemented in all government schools and are transparent to the school community. (2004)

32. That the P&C Federation demands that the Department of Education and Training provide every school P&C Association with a copy of the Department’s current building code and also provide the Asset Management entitlement list and building code relevant to their school. (2004)

33. That P&C Federation demands that the Department of Education and Training meet once every 5 years with each P&C School community to discuss maintenance and student-staff accommodation issues and the funding of these issues. (2004)

34. That P&C Federation requests the Minister for Education and Training to introduce a mandatory policy that any bus(es) used for school excursions are fitted with lap-sash seatbelts and the students be required to wear them at all times whilst on the bus. (2004)

35. That P&C Federation lobbies the appropriate statutory body to ensure “kiss and drop zones” are made available so that children can be dropped off and watched safely from the car till they enter the school grounds. (2004)

36. That P&C Federation calls on the Department of Education and Training to actively pursue the use of open source computer systems (e.g. Linux, free BSD) and open systems for computer systems in education in preference to proprietary and closed systems (e.g. Microsoft). (2004)

37. That P&C Federation expresses concern to the Minister for Education and Training that the dollar for dollar system for giving grants to school communities for school improvements is unfair to schools in low income areas. (2004)

38. That P&C Federation requests the NSW Government provide all NSW public schools that, maintain an enrolment of not less than 100 students over a 5 year period, with a functional hall. (2004)

39. That Physical Resource Policy 11.46(1) be pursued as an action. (2004)