Parents of students at Malkara School in Canberra have voiced significant concerns about communication failures, as the specialist school was forced to close once again after the discovery of potentially contaminated coloured sand on its grounds.
Confusion and Frustration at School Gates
The school had received official clearance from asbestos assessors to open on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. However, the school day was thrown into chaos when staff arriving that morning found that the suspect sand had been spread from a cordoned-off sandpit to other parts of the playground.
School board chairman and parent Paco Iglesias said the miscommunication from the education directorate created a confusing and frustrating situation for families during the morning drop-off. Upon his arrival, he found students waiting on buses while staff were uncertain if they could enter the building.
"You can't deem the school to be open... and then rock up and say it's not open," Mr Iglesias stated, expressing his disappointment. He noted that students remained on buses for seven minutes before being allowed into areas deemed safe.
Government Response and Ongoing Concerns
An ACT government spokesperson confirmed that part of the school's remediation plan involved cordoning off the sandpit, but staff discovered the sand had been dispersed elsewhere. Consequently, some students who would typically access those areas were sent home for the day.
Despite being listed as open in a 3pm update on November 19, parents were informed around 5pm that Malkara School would be closed for the remainder of the week.
Education Minister Yvette Berry addressed the situation, indicating that more discoveries of the coloured sand are likely across ACT schools as students return. "It will happen over the next possibly even years," Ms Berry said, while reassuring the public that any newly identified sand would be isolated, tested, and removed by a licensed asbestos assessor.
She emphasised that the risk remains low, with airborne asbestos testing consistently returning negative results in ACT public schools. Ms Berry also noted that this sand is often found in areas not used for teaching.
Calls for Improved Communication Protocols
Mr Iglesias praised the Malkara school staff as "absolutely brilliant" but was critical of the communication from the directorate and government. He stressed that communication "needs to be better" and referenced lessons that should have been learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If you have to stay home for an extra day, that's fine, parents understand," he said, highlighting that safety is the paramount concern for all involved. He expressed a desire for more direct and timely updates from the directorate throughout the day.
While most ACT public schools have now reopened, some continue to operate with specific closed-off areas as remediation efforts persist. The government continues to advise that a clinical assessment is not recommended for anyone who has had contact with the sand.
