Gladys Newton School to have airconditioning installed

12/11/96

Education Minister Colin Barnett has announced that Gladys Newton School will have airconditioning installed next year in two of its classrooms.

Mr Barnett said that the work was part of a State-wide project to ensure that all 13 special schools in Western Australia were at least partly airconditioned in time for the start of the 1998 school year.

Each of the schools would receive approximately $14,000 in funding from the Education Department to complete the work.

"Special schools cater for students with significant disabilities and the Government is keen to provide the best possible learning environment," Mr Barnett said.

"All schools in the hottest parts of the State already have airconditioning and all transportable classrooms elsewhere are progressively being airconditioned.

"However, students in special schools in the cooler parts of the State can become unduly distressed, even though hot spells might be reasonably brief, therefore two classrooms in each the schools will be air-conditioned next year."

The project will take in a total of seven special schools in the metropolitan and regional areas. The remaining six special schools already have air-cooling funded through efforts by the school. These schools will still receive the funding which may be used to upgrade the existing air-cooling units or to undertake other priority minor works.

Media contact: Justine Whittome (09) 222 9699