THE State Government says its planned sale of 140hectares of land around Hurlstone Agricultural High School won't affect the school's efficiency.
But parents and students are outraged and say Hurlstone's reputation as an agricultural school is threatened.
The sale was announced in last week's mini-budget, with two sites for sale Glenfield (that is, Hurlstone) and one in Manly that are expected to recoup the Government $239million by 2012.
Education Minister Verity Firth told the Advertiser the department was merely accelerating its annual sell-off of surplus land at school and TAFE sites.
Ms Firth said the Hurlstone Agricultural High School 140 hectares had always been on the agenda to be sold.
She said half the proceeds from the sale would be returned to fund additional capital works and that the other half would go to fund front-line police and nurse services.
``Up to 140hectares of land at Hurlstone Agricultural High School has been identified as not required for future educational purposes,'' Ms Firth said.
``The school is co-located with Campbell House, Glenfield Park and Ajuga schools on 160hectares of land at Glenfield.''
Ms Firth said that a maximum of 140hectares at the school would be sold in 2011.
``The school will retain the 20hectares currently used for teaching purposes and as a working farm,'' she said.
Parents & Citizens (P&C) president Rose Fernandes said parents and students were ``disgusted'' by the plan.
``We were surprised and very disappointed because so many students who came to this school have contributed greatly to agriculture in NSW, taking up senior positions in the field,'' Ms Fernandes said.
``As cities get bigger, agriculture will become more important and the land sale will affect future students at the school.''
The P&C wants to meet ministers in an attempt to stop the sale.
Ms Firth said the site would still be larger than the standard sixhectare high school, and twice the size of James Ruse Agricultural High School, which operates on about 10hectares.
Macquarie Fields MP Andrew McDonald said his understanding was that the land surrounding the school was used as a dry land dairy farm, although not intensively.
A man who was a student at Hurlstone 60 years ago said the sale would ruin the practical agricultural reputation of the school, but said he didn't believe it would ruin Hurlstone's academic reputation.