Copacabana Public School is a ‘rare gem’ in the Copacabana community. The quality of care and education that our children receive, to the wonderful relationships that have formed between parents, staff, children and other community organisations cannot have a value put on them. This has been achieved by the schools commitment to embracing the people of Copa and who have developed an overwhelming feeling of connection and ownership to our ‘little school’.

The schools informal policy of allowing access to certain areas of the grounds, has been crucial to many families in Copa who struggle to find safe, flat, open areas in which to teach their kids to ride a bike, or kick a ball. It is a policy that has meant very little vandalism and increased the community’s ‘passive surveillance’ of the school grounds.

Now, through no request by Copa School management, a small number of people are calling for the school to be fenced off and essentially ‘locked down’ by building a large security fence around the property. There has been no spike in vandalism, nor any validated issue to call for this radical step.

This isn’t the Copacabana we live in is it? Where our school and only flat open spaces need to be locked up and away from the community who love it? Is a fence even the best solution to whatever concerns people have? The Copa community has always had a strong relationship with the school, even assisting to level the playing field only 2 years ago.

If you agree that Copacabana Public School generously serves our community in its present form, and does not require a 6ft security fence to protect it, then please add your name to the list. Once its gone to the community, its gone forever!

Please add your name to this petition and say that Copacabana Public School SHOULD NOT have a security fence installed. Instead, should any future need arise, that all alternate options be explored first. Only then, should school management make the request, would you be prepared to support such drastic action.