LALBERT Primary School’s current school year will be its last.
The decision was made by parents as a result of dwindling enrolment.
With just four students (from two local families), Lalbert Primary School Council president Peter Mullan said his two daughters received an excellent education at one of the smallest schools in Victoria.
But Mr Mullan said “the time had come” after student enrolments began to gradually decline, from about 10 a few years ago, to five students last year.
“You give me 10 more kids and we’d stay there forever, you would not get a better schooling anywhere,” he said.
The school’s two families made the decision more than a month ago, and a few weeks ago made it official, writing to the Department of Education.
Mr Mullan said there had been no involvement from the State Government in the decision and the Department of Education confirmed it “does not close schools”.
“We went to them, this is our decision, not the other way around,” Mr Mullan said.
“It’s a collective decision [from the school council]; we’re sort of like a family. We decided it would be the best thing for everybody.”
For more of this story see Friday’s Guardian (August 23).
