Hills Independent #83 May 2022 | Page 23

EDUCATE ME

EDUCATE ME

New teaching spaces modernise Castle Hill PS

More natural air ventilation systems for schools

Funding has been approved to deliver new permanent teaching spaces and student amenities as part of a significant upgrade to Castle Hill Public School .
Castle Hill MP Ray Williams said the upgrades will deliver modern resources for students both immediately and for some time to come .
“ This government is delivering a pipeline of school infrastructure projects to help cater for population growth in Western Sydney by planning new and upgraded schools now , and into the future ,” Mr Williams said .
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the community was excited the longer-term need for local schools in the area is being met .
“ Western Sydney is a growing area and we are delivering on our commitment to give local students the latest facilities and support the growing school community ,” Ms Mitchell said .
“ The 2021 / 22 NSW Budget included funding for 22 new and upgraded school projects across Western Sydney , including at Castle Hill Public School . I ’ m proud to be part of a government that is delivering for these local communities .”
The NSW Government is investing $ 7.9 billion over the next four years , continuing its program to deliver 215 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW .
This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW , according to Ms Mitchell .
The Government is maximising fresh air in classrooms under a new program to protect school communities from the spread of COVID-19
A boost to natural ventilation is headed to more than 10,000 public school classrooms with the rollout of automatic fresh air ventilation systems , as the NSW Government bolsters protection against COVID-19 for school communities .
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said the $ 100 million Air Quality Assurance Program was focused on delivering permanent improvements to natural ventilation in classrooms , based on evidence and expert advice .
“ The World Health Organisation , the Doherty Institute and NSW Health agree that maximising natural ventilation in classrooms by opening windows and doors remains the most effective method for minimising the spread of COVID-19 – and this is the foundation of our approach in schools ,” Ms Mitchell said .
“ The NSW Government is committed to keeping students learning face to face at school and is taking steps to ensure that we maximise fresh air in our classrooms . Installation of these systems will further enhance the quality of air in
our classrooms .”
The Air Quality Assurance Program was announced in October 2021 following the comprehensive audit of more than 150,000 spaces across all NSW public schools . The audit , combined with independent , expert advice from building services consultant Steensen Varming , has guided the targeted approach to ventilation in schools .
The 10,000 classrooms newly identified to receive automatic fresh air ventilation build on the 2,000 classrooms announced last year .
The program is supporting permanent upgrades to windows , ceiling and exhaust fans , additional servicing of ventilation systems , procurement of 19,000 air purifiers and the ongoing installation of automatic fresh air ventilation systems .
In addition to the Air Quality Assurance Program , permanent fresh air ventilation systems are also being progressively installed in thousands of classrooms as part of the NSW Government ’ s $ 500 million Cooler Classrooms program .
As at February 2022 , more than 5,500 classrooms and 380 libraries have had systems installed under this program .
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 83 // MAY 2022 21