Dear Sir,
I am writing to extend an open invitation for you and your team to visit Swan Hill College.
I am lucky enough to be a representative of such an exceptional school with amazing students and dedicated staff, unfortunately it has become the role of our community to further push for the necessary toilet facilities.
It is a requirement outlined by your government’s Child Safe Standards policy that school environments are to be safe, accessible and functioning.
Our toilets are not safe, as bullying and vaping are a common practice, an issue which has been prominent since I started my schooling at Swan Hill College in 2020 and which is only continuing to grow.
Such facilities should be a place of dignity, not dysfunction and antisocial behaviour which their outdated design have allowed them to become.
The school cannot start this project without the Victorian School Buildings Authority’s approval, and it is my understanding the college’s request for that approval has not been responded to.
We urgently need a signed written guarantee the approvals will be fast tracked, and the funding model agreed upon with the school to ensure this priority project gets the attention it deserves.
While I know this change will not come into effect before I finish my secondary schooling – I hope to leave behind a positive legacy in helping enact change to create safe toilet facilities so we have a school where education and learning can be the highest priority.
Let’s continue to work proactively toward this goal.
I look forward to your visit.
Best wishes,
Dekoda Barber
