Australia: After Bushfires, the Scots College to relocate year 9 Education Program

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After bushfires swept through its campus and damaged assets earlier this month, independent boys’ school, The Scots College from Eastern suburbs will relocate its six-month residential outdoor education program for year 9 students at Kangaroo Valley.

The Fire tore though the area late at night on January 4 where two student dormitories, four staff residence, some external buildings and equipment at Scots’ Glengarry campus, and power and sewerage utilities were destroyed.

Described by the school as a “rite of passage into manhood”, The Glengarry outdoor education program, sees year 9 students spend six months living at the school’s Kangaroo Valley experiential learning campus without television, phones or games which was supervised by more than 30 staff.

The program will be amended in term one this year and relocated to new facilities while the school commences recovery work at the burnt campus.

After the fire, Principal Dr Ian Lambert wrote to parents, “Intake 1 will be a modified program to take into account the realities of the situation before us.”

At Tallong Outdoor Education Centre, the first three weeks of the program will take place, whereas in the Southern Highlands, weeks four to eight will be relocated to Katoomba.

Students will rotate between the school’s Bannockburn campus and facilities at Appin and Jindabyne, for the remainder of term one and early term two.

Dr Lambert told parents,“Despite the disruptions, the school was truly blessed that the fire has not affected more of the campus”.

He added that the layout of the Glengarry campus was designed with the threat of fire in mind and the staff had ample time to implement their fire plans as well as completing additional preparations to make it as fire ready as possible. Dr Lambert said the school was providing alternate accommodation and assistance to affected staff where necessary. Alongside St Peter’s Anglican College in Broulee, the Scots College was one of two independent schools affected by bushfires; however over 170 government schools and 16 Catholic schools were also affected.