Families living south of Canberra are expressing fury over what they describe as a deliberate plan by the ACT government to close Tharwa Preschool, a village institution with deep historical roots.
Multiple parents claim the Education Directorate actively discouraged enrollments for the 2026 school year while preventing the Parents and Citizens association from advertising the program.
Generational Legacy Broken
Grace Gregory, a Tharwa resident, had enrolled her four-year-old son Arthur at the preschool that five generations of his family had attended. Months after submitting his enrollment, she received a call from the ACT Education Directorate informing her the program had been discontinued for 2026.
"Five generations and Arthur's going to be the first one in our line to not attend, which is really sad for us as a family and as a community," Ms Gregory said.
The preschool, located 30 minutes south of Canberra's CBD, sits on the site of the old Tharwa Primary School, which was established in 1899 and represents one of the ACT's oldest educational institutions.
Enrollment Obstacles and Government Response
At least two other families reported attempting to enroll their children at Tharwa Preschool in August and September 2025, only to be directed by the directorate to select Charles Conder Primary School instead. They were told Tharwa "would most likely not be an option."
One mother detailed sending multiple emails to Charles Conder Primary, which manages the preschool, specifically requesting enrollment at Tharwa but being repeatedly denied.
An ACT government spokesperson stated that the Education Directorate's enrollments helpline received only two enquiries about 2026 preschool enrollments at Charles Conder Primary School and Tharwa Preschool.
"By the end of September 2025, Tharwa Preschool had received one enrolment application for the 2026 school year," the spokesperson said. "As such, the Directorate deemed the operation of a preschool program at Tharwa not feasible for 2026."
Advertising Restrictions and Community Backlash
Bella Gay, a P&C member who attended Tharwa Preschool herself, claimed the parents' group was prevented from promoting the preschool to potential families this year.
"For the past few years, we've put road signs up, social media activity, supported open days, and then this year we were told there was no need to do that," Ms Gay explained.
She noted that enrollment numbers dropped significantly after the directorate took over promotion responsibilities. Ms Gay and her husband had planned to send their youngest daughter to Tharwa in 2027 but now face a 30-minute drive to the nearest alternative if the preschool doesn't reopen.
Liberals member for Brindabella Mark Parton said he'd heard from several interested parents after putting a call out on social media in October. "I'd like to believe that the government is not seeking to close Tharwa Preschool by stealth, but it's difficult to not arrive at that conclusion," he stated.
Catherine Kiernan, a longtime Tharwa resident and Ms Gay's mother, accused the directorate of closing the preschool without providing "true and transparent reasons," calling it a "deliberate plan" that disregards both history and the rural community.
The government maintains that temporary closures of preschool sites based on enrollment numbers are not unusual and that Tharwa Preschool will remain available for future enrollments if demand increases.
