Schools get cash to fix old toilets
Three of Perth's ageing public high schools will get nearly $1 million each to fix run-down toilet facilities.
Five months after The West Australian published pictures of dilapidated toilets at Hampton Senior High School, which Federal Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan had described as "disgraceful" and "Third World", the school will get $900,000 to upgrade toilets and change rooms.
Parents complained in April that the toilet facilities at Hampton had barely changed since the school was built in the 1960s.
They said the number of cracked and missing tiles meant that the facilities were unhygienic and teachers and canteen staff had no hot water.
Education Minister Peter Collier said at the time that he would ask the Education Department to investigate urgently whether toilets at Hampton that were not already earmarked for maintenance should be upgraded.
As well as announcing the cash injection for Hampton, Mr Collier said Melville Senior High and Greenwood College would also receive $900,000 each.
Three primary schools, Carine, East Wanneroo and Inglewood, will each get $300,000 for toilet upgrades and Broomehill Primary will get $200,000.
"This is part of the Government's commitment to bring older schools up to modern standards and provide learning environments for students and teachers which are more functional and attractive," Mr Collier said.
Ms MacTiernan welcomed the extra cash but noted there were many older schools that required continuing maintenance.
She said the physical condition of schools sent a message to students and teachers about whether they were valued.
"Repairing toilets is not as glamorous as opening a new school but it's critically important to do it," she said.
"Obviously the reason I was contacted by the school community was they had come to the conclusion they weren't getting anywhere."
