Students reflect on new structure

Three years after the formation of Brisbane Water Secondary College was proposed, Peninsula News reporter Alison Branley spoke with two Year 12 work experience students, Sarah Parsons and Kellie Stokes, about the new structure.

In 2001 the NSW Department of Education proposed that Umina High School and Woy Woy High School would join and become Brisbane Water Secondary College. Umina High would be known as the junior campus, for Years 7 to 9 and Woy Woy High would be known as the senior campus with Years 10 to 12.

The proposal was brought forward and the majority of students and teachers were against the idea.

"At the time, the teachers felt that they may lose jobs or didn't want to teach just junior or senior students," said Year 12 student Sarah Parsons.

"The students were against the idea of joining with another school or for some having to change their school entirely.

"To try and sabotage these plans, both teachers and students went on a series of strikes and protests hoping that with enough persistence the changes would not go through," she said.

Kellie Stokes was in Year 9 when the proposal was put forward.

She said she chose Umina originally as it had a better reputation than Woy Woy.

"Apparently Umina people didn't like Woy Woy people," she said.

"The older kids were demonstrating so we just followed them. We didn't want to have to travel further to get to school.

"Unfortunately the demonstrations didn't work and the proposal was pushed ahead."

Sarah said a lot of her teachers left Umina to go to other schools, as they did not just want to teach junior years.

"I prefer the teachers at Woy Woy.

"I reckon we got better teachers when we went to Woy Woy," she said.

Both girls said there are some drawbacks to the new Woy Woy campus.

"The toilets are bad. It makes you not want to go there," Kellie said.

"And the Library at Umina was bigger. It had more books.

"Woy Woy is bad when it rains. There's not really anywhere to sit, but Woy Woy has got the TAFE," she said.

They said the College had developed a better reputation since merging to become a college, with uniform policy enforced more strictly.

"Woy Woy's also got more sport now with the rugby academy," Sarah said.

"Having a senior campus, there is also a better learning environment without the juniors.

"It took a few years to complete the changes but in the end it was worth it," Kellie said.

"Since moving over from Umina to Woy Woy, some students have still not accepted the change and wish it would have stayed as two separate schools but a majority of students who at first were against the change now believe that it has been for the best.

"Being on a senior campus, it is more of an adult learning environment and students are able to be in a more mature atmosphere, with no younger students."

Both girls said they felt it was helping to maximise their education and the change had been a success.

Alison Branley, May 10