Retired principal to stand for Legislative Council
Retired school principal Ms Gab McIntosh, of Woy Woy, has announced she will be standing as an independent candidate for the Legislative Council at next year's state election.
Ms McIntosh said she was motivated by "the dreadful mess that education has become in NSW".
Ms McIntosh was principal of the Eagle Arts and Vocational College, which had a campus at Kincumber.
She said her school for school refusers was closed in 2018, even though it had passed a full inspection in July 2017.
"Thirty kids, school refusers, with no where to go, were simply tossed onto the streets of the Central Coast when Eagle Arts was closed by the NSW Education and Standards Authority. "These were kids trying hard to give schooling a chance.
"Of course none of them ever went near a school again."
She said that Central Coast Members of State Parliament Mr David Harris, Ms Leisl Tesch, and Mr Adam Crouch did nothing to help.
"Research now says 50 per cent of teachers were keen to leave the profession and they cite ridiculous amounts of paper work, as a reason.
"Most people don't know that this paper work has nothing to do with the welfare of their kids.
"It is just bureaucratic nonsense.
"Teachers are the new second class citizens," says Ms McIntosh.
"And then there is TAFE.
"Successive governments have reduced TAFE to a skeleton.
"TAFE used to be a terrific provider of free quality education for both kids and adults, particularly those looking to improve their reading and writing or move to a better job in the work force.
"Not anymore. TAFE has been squashed as private providers have been elevated, but they only do a quarter as good a job," Ms McIntosh said.
"No wonder so many do not want to vote for the major parties anymore.
"They feel betrayed by both Labor and the Liberals."
Ms McIntosh was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2007 for her work in education.
SOURCE:
Media release, 19 Jul 2022
Gab McIntosh, Woy Woy