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Schools miss out on funding for fresh air

SEVERAL schools will continue to swelter over summer after they missed out on a slice of the NSW Government’s $500 million Cooler Classrooms Program.

The program is a five-year commitment to deliver cooling, heating and fresh air-conditioning systems to more than 900 NSW public schools with those in the hottest parts of the State prioritised.
However, State MP for Canterbury, Sophie Cotsis, raised concerns that schools in her electorate – Canterbury Public School, Belmore Boys High School, Belmore South Public School and Kingsgrove North High – had their applications for air-conditioning rejected.
“Air-conditioning is a basic need for students, and every student deserves the right to learn in a classroom that is properly ventilated, and at a bearable temperature,” she said.
“There should not be any situation where a students’ learning and education is impeded due to a lack of air-conditioning. Furthermore, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, adequate air-conditioning is pivotal to minimising the spread of the virus in schools.”
A Department of Education spokesperson said seven schools in the Canterbury electorate applied to the fund, with three approved for delivery – Belmore North Public School, Campsie Public School and Harcourt Public School, while a further four schools – Canterbury Public School, Belmore Boys High School, Belmore South Public School and Edgeware School – applied and have not yet been approved for delivery.
“Schools waiting for Cooler Classrooms does not mean they are without air-conditioning, schools in the Canterbury electorate have other systems installed,” she said.