I am a previous student and now parent and recently a new member of the P&C. I've seen the school since it got built and commenced there in 1993 to now with my three, soon to be four children attending the school. For too long I've sat by and watched the school ageing and not changing so I decided to try and do something about it. I've run other local community advocacy campaigns and I have a passion for seeing my community not just survive but thrive. This petition is my own work and wording and is written from my experience as a prior student and now parent and P&C member.

In the 30 years since Dakabin State School opened it has received minimal funding and certainly nothing worth mentioning in the last decade. In fact, the Federal Government Building the Education Revolution (BER) program back in 2011-12, was the last decent funding the school received seeing the Library and Music/OSHC buildings built*.

Dakabin State School has long suffered neglect by numerous State Governments and elected representatives, and is consistently overlooked for vital funding or on the occasion it does get funding it receives the least amount in the electorate. This has made supporting students, staff and families increasingly difficult and has seen the school fall behind in terms of facilities, maintenance and programs offered compared to other schools in the same electorate. Despite this, enrolments are increasing, largely due to dramatic and ongoing residential growth in the school’s catchment but also due to the fact that the staff are incredibly dedicated; fighting aging equipment and buildings they still put their students’ needs first.

Everyone will tell you that the staff at Dakabin State School are champions for their students and do everything they can to ensure they succeed not just at school but also in the future. In 2019 Dakabin State School won the QUT Showcase Award for Excellence in Inclusive Education for leading a sustained commitment to inclusion. Multiple previous students have gone on to become school captains in high school. Also, for the last four years Dakabin has won awards in the prestigious Wakakirri performing arts competition including performance and state story awards.

Dakabin State School is now also the home of a Regional Health Hub that will provide access to essential health services for families with children aged 0-5 years. The school has also commenced a Pasifika playgroup in recognition and support of the growing number of Pasifik Islander & Maori families in our school community.

In the previous state budget multiple newer schools received millions upon millions in funding when they have only been built in the last decade. Compare that with the 30-year-old Dakabin State School and the numbers just don’t add up.

Funding is urgently required for numerous critical projects such as, but not limited to:

• updating classrooms with more storage and better technology, new carpet/paint and repairs as necessary
• immediate replacement of the currently unusable demountable blocks with new classrooms that can be safely utilised by the school
• a solution for the current hall issues (e.g. expansion or new hall)
• replacement of the 30-year-old chain link boundary fencing with the now standard security fencing.

It’s prudent to mention that Dakabin State School has very recently received a small amount of funding for an update of the Prep block and Air Conditioning (including electrical upgrades and solar installation) both of which are estimated to total a combined $1.6 million. Whilst this is incredibly welcome and we thank Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles for his support; it still is nowhere near what other schools in this electorate have been given in recent years. Prime examples are Mango Hill State School which recently received $6 million for a SECOND state of the art hall and Kallangur State School who received $4 million for a hall expansion. We aren't asking for more than our fair share - the numbers don't lie, Dakabin has never been funded to the same extent as other schools in the electorate and we are simply asking for it to be our turn for adequate funding.

As families of the school and residents in the wider community we are imploring the State Government to give Dakabin State School the funding it is long overdue to ensure the children of this school get the best start possible to their education journey. We are simply asking for the school to receive its fair share. It is not unreasonable for our community to expect the State Government to equitably distribute school funding across the electorate. Dakabin State School urgently needs the very same facilities of its peers so that our staff & students can be better equipped and prepared.

All State Schools should be great schools, not just new ones!
Dakabin State School deserves a fair go.

*This section has been updated to reflect recent information received confirming the BER funding DSS received did not go towards the hall. The hall was partially funded by the government at the time in 2010- still searching for further details.