St Joseph's Primary School has been sitting empty for 10 years after being purchased by a Chinese university but the building could be returned to its former use as an educational establishment if the plans of six local women come to fruition.
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Peta Condon and Christine Cook, Micahela Rouch and Laura Flett want to see the old school become the Eden Education Hub and are presenting their ideas to the community in a meeting on Monday, August 22 at 6pm at the RSL Hall, Eden.
The group has approached the building's owners about leasing it and has a vision for their education hub, committee member Christine Cook said.
"The new education hub will offer families an umbrella of education based on Montessori principles and outdoor nature-based learning for children, provide seminars and master classes on parenting, accommodate allied holistic practitioners such as midwives, doula's, nutritionist, art and music therapists," Ms Cook said.
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Teacher training courses and crosslinking with local businesses to exchange skills and experience with the hub are part of the vision.
"The priority is to support families to nurture their children's spiritual and physical development," Ms Cook said.
She said it was about supporting parents to be, including those looking for natural births, and children through pre-school and up to age seven.
"Some parents are choosing to withdraw their children from schools, preferring home schooling and some are looking for a blended approach."
Ms Cook said they proposed to offer support for that blended approach to schooling.
She said there were three-year-olds in the area who couldn't go to pre-school because their parents chose not to vaccinate them.
"Our aim is to have a self-governance model," she said.
"We've had fantastic feedback so far and people are excited because families are looking for another option outside the mainstream system."
Both Christine Cook and Micahela Rouch are Montessori teachers, Peta Condon specialises in outdoor nature-based learning, Janet Ross is an advocate for children with a financial background and Laura Flett is a mother looking for other ways of support for home schooling, Ms Cook explained.
They haven't yet signed the lease and want to gauge community interest which is why they are holding the meeting on Monday, August 22 at 6pm at the RSL Hall, Eden. You can contact the group at edenedhub@gmail.com
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Denise Dion
Regional daily news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. Contact me on 0418 213 780 or at denise.dion@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Regional daily news journalist on the Far South Coast of NSW. Contact me on 0418 213 780 or at denise.dion@austcommunitymedia.com.au
