On Thursday exactly one week after news of damage in the boy’s toilets, I turned up to collect my son and a strange sight loomed over the playground.  The toilet block gates were completely drawn up and chained shut.  This prohibits access to all toilets, bubblers and wash basins.  I later had other mums and children inform me they were closed for emergency maintenance due to blockage, both sides.  It had been like that during lunch and all afternoon.  As a result all 625 students somehow shared the token school hall toilets, you can imagine the queues (1 cubicle for boys, 2 for girls).  One would think that when the situation gets this bad we might benefit from portaloos, but this might draw far too much attention to the underlying fact that there just aren’t enough toilets.  A mum informed me her daughter had to use the only water bubbler that was outside the toilet block (yes that’s right just one) to wash her hands after eating lunch.  The wait was too long in the hall, possibly not hygienic but I don’t blame her.  Kids are adaptable and resourceful, but it shouldn’t have to be this way.

If you ever get a chance to visit PEPS it impresses as a quaint little school.  All credit goes to the staff and parents for fixing up the gardens and surrounds.  It will take a moment to see where the unsightly mass of demountables has been placed.  They are hidden behind the toilet block, behind some raised vegetable garden beds and a soft fall area with sandstone rocks.  Once you walk down there though you will realise there is something amiss.  The charming feel of our open playground area is replaced by an eerie utilitarian sector.  The demountables themselves are unapologetically crammed in as close together as possible.  A thin rudimentary path weaves between the rows, they are in such close proximity almost no sunlight can reach in between. Disquieting shadows play on your face as you walk down.  The lack of attempt to mask their placement forbodes that there will be more, slowly the grass area will be overtaken.  Caution tape permanently cordons off areas where planning simply fell short.  We cannot let this area become PEPS, it is contrary to what a childhood education should be.

Please support us to get the additional toilets we desperately need, if these children were adults I guarantee the situation would not exist.  No one would tolerate this in a workplace, how is it possible to overlook it in our schools?  We also need to stop the loss of open play areas to more demountables.  I’m not sure what memories these PEPS children will have of their primary school.  I’m afraid to ask.