By Ian Beeck | posted on December 5, 2019
THE closure of the Albany Primary School (APS) canteen for 2020 has been shrouded in secrecy as outraged parents have their questions as to why it was closed left unanswered.
The APS P&C formally announced the decision last Thursday on their Facebook page and followed it up in the school newsletter the following day.
The decision was made at the final P&C meeting for 2019 on the previous Monday.
The P&C Executive Committee released a brief statement saying the canteen was no longer financially viable and would not re-open in 2020.
“We understand that shutting down the canteen will have an impact on APS families and during term one 2020, the P&C will start to investigate alternative lunch service options to mitigate the impact,” it said.
P&C President Carly Talbot declined to elaborate any further or discuss if any other options were considered.
APS Principal Cathy Willis passed the Weekender’s queries to the Department of Education’s Media Team who said, “as the canteen is run by the P&C, we will leave it to them to talk about it”.
On the day before the social media post announcing the canteen closure due to financial constraints was made, the P&C thanked visiting artists for the P&C funded Toilet Artwork Project that ‘has lifted our toilet blocks to new and inspirational heights.”
“Three toilet blocks have been completed and they truly are beautiful, fun spaces for our students,” the post read.
On social media, parents expressed their anger.
Questions such as exploring the option of opening two or three days a week or outsourcing the service went unanswered.
Outraged parent Courtney Hathaway is so upset with the decision and lack of transparency, she is looking at moving her son to another school.
“How can you even run a school with no canteen? Are you serious?” she told the Weekender.
“As a parent of a child that goes to the school, I’m very disappointed that the canteen is closing. I don’t understand how you can efficiently run a school without a canteen.
“If they can afford artwork in the toilets then why can’t they afford something that’s actually needed like the canteen? I don’t know about you but I don’t sit on the toilet looking at the artwork on the walls.”
The Weekender understands that one of the paid employees, who had worked there for 19-and-a-half years, was only told of the decision two days before it was announced on Facebook.
The Weekender also understands that the canteen bank balance was deemed healthy, there was not a lack of volunteers and paid employees managed to run the canteen efficiently whether there were any volunteers or not.
The decision has blindsided employees with two people losing their jobs. Parents are demanding answers and even some teachers were unaware of the impending closure days after it had been announced.
