Vandals won’t break us: school

Community spirit has trumped crime at a Safety Bay education support centre this month turning an act of vandalism into a positive step forward.

Malibu School was victim to a spate of vandalism over the festive season which left gardens, windows, fences and sheds damaged.

Principal Noelene Mason said over the past three years, vandalism ranging from spraypainted buildings, broken windows and torn up garden beds was almost a weekly occurrence.

“It hurts every time we have these situations occur where people just come in and destroy what is essentially our students’ learning program,” she said.

Department of Education strategic asset planning director Mal Parr confirmed four minor incidents of vandalism were reported during the Christmas and new year period at the school.

“There was damage to fencing at the rear of the school and one smashed window,” he said.

Mr Parr said over the past year, up until January 10, 28 incidents of vandalism or damage had been reported, totalling $11,899.

After news of the latest incident filtered out into the community, Mrs Mason said there was an overwhelming response to repair the damage.

Later this month a team of volunteers will band together for the school’s first busy bee to finish repairing the students’ potting shed and garden beds for the start of Term 1.

“A lot of the damage in some ways we have already taken care of, but what has grown out of this is this absolute desire and heartfelt desire by the community to support us and make it (the garden) even better,” she said.

“One thing we keep saying to ourselves is we can’t allow this unwanted attention, this vandalism to destroy what we are trying to do, we are not going to let them stop us because it is too important.”

Education assistant Marc Antoinette, who runs the agrifood program, said the students poured their hearts and souls into their garden.

“If they came to the school and saw damage to the gardens it would break their hearts they probably wouldn’t want to start again,” he said.

Rockingham MLA Mark McGowan said he would be inquiring into whether more could be done to improve security to protect the school.

Mr Parr said the department’s school security section had been working with Malibu School on a range of security improvements over a period of time and that the school was listed for consideration for a perimeter fence.

The public is urged to report anything suspicious to School Watch on 1800 177 777.