Federal Govt must intervene to save Hurlstone

In a visit to Hurlstone Agricultural High School today by Shadow Minister for Education Christopher Pyne and western Sydney based Liberal Senator Marise Payne, Mr Pyne said it was time for Julia Gillard to intervene and stop the Rees Labor Government's sale of 140 ha of the school's working farm.

"The Federal Government wants to tell us that its $14.7 billion education 'revolution' will support Australia's school system for years to come - but it is a hollow promise if so much funding cannot save even one school from senseless disintegration," Mr Pyne said.

Hurlstone Agricultural High School has been teaching Australia's future agriculturalists for over a century and is one of the best public schools in the state.

"Meeting with the students and staff today, I have been incredibly impressed by their commitment to their school, and their determination to do whatever it takes to make sure Hurlstone retains its unique place as a genuine agricultural high school - and this means keeping all of its 160 ha.

"Hurlstone's operational farm, complete with food production, a dairy contract and an Ayrshire stud, is the very heart of the school, and I call on the Federal Government to immediately commit to stop any attempt to sell or transfer the school's land and facilities," Mr Pyne said.

Senator Payne said the NSW Government's decision to hold an inquiry into the sale of land at Hurlstone was welcome, but called for a real inquiry - not a smokescreen while the Government makes a deal with developers on the school's inevitable sale.

At the same time as announcing the inquiry, NSW Education Minister Verity Firth tried to justify the sale by saying technology could be a better way to teach agriculture," Senator Payne said.

But farm animals cannot graze on technology, and if we want to make sure Australia's agricultural industry has a future, we have to put the education of our students first - there can be no replacement for the real life experience of a working farm.

"The Minister needs to state publicly that the NSW Government is prepared to overturn its decision to sell any of the Hurlstone property if that is the independent inquiry's recommendation - otherwise this inquiry will be nothing more than an expensive and pointless PR exercise," Senator Payne said.