Education department ‘not quite sure’ how radioactive rock ended up in Sydney science classroom

The Department of Education has revealed an investigation is still ongoing into how a radioactive rock ended up inside a high school science classroom in Sydney.

In a letter sent out on August 18, Randwick Girls’ High School principal Lucy Andre informed parents that a rock specimen concealed inside a metal box in a science storeroom had a “very small amount of radioactive material”.

Speaking at a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday, Labor committee member Courtney Houssos asked the department for an update on the incident.

The hearing was told that a science teacher discovered the hazardous material in a science prep room – inaccessible to students – and swiftly took action to report the substance to the department.

“The principal took swift action and cordoned off the prep room and surrounding labs,” school performance deputy secretary Murat Dizdar told the hearing.

Hygienists were reportedly on site the next day and Australian Nuclear Science Technology Organisation (ANSTO) officers encased the box in led and removed it from the grounds.

“You would have to hold this material in your hands for about 250 hours consecutively to reach the allowable nuclear reactive limit,” Mr Dizdar told the hearing.

A clearance certificate has been issued to the school.

“ANSTO have confirmed that no harm was done to staff or students, with the sample significantly below allowable annual radiation dose limit,” Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said.

“There should be no cause for concern or alarm for those parents.”

Unsatisfied, Ms Houssos drilled down for an answer as to how the radioactive material found its way onto school grounds.

“I can’t provide a definitive answer because the school is yet to determine how that may have been there,” Mr Dizdar said.

“We are talking about a school that is 100-plus years in its provision of quality public education.

“We are not quite sure how that material was in the science prep room.”

Ms Houssos asked if this was the first instance of radioactive material being found in NSW schools.

Department of Education secretary Georgina Harrisson said there was one instance of naturally occurring radioactive sand being discovered in the surrounds of a school on the north coast.

She said this was the only other instance that she knew of.

Randwick Girls’ High School was contacted for comment.