New western suburbs high school slated
The western suburbs will get a new secondary school to take pressure off Churchlands Senior High School, which has grown so big it has been likened to a "demountable city".
Announcing a $38.8 million expansion for Churchlands yesterday, Education Minister Peter Collier acknowledged that decisions to close public schools in the western suburbs in the past 15 years had "come at a cost".
He said Churchlands was under enormous pressure from increased enrolments because it was such a good school.
As well as a $10 million block of classrooms opened yesterday to accommodate Year 7s, the school will also have 25 transportable classrooms on its oval next year.
"It's almost looking like a demountable city out there and that's not something any government wants to endure," Mr Collier said.
"We still do need another school in the western suburbs and that's what we're working on at the moment."
Churchlands is expected to enrol more than 2270 students next year, putting it on track to become the biggest public school in WA within a few years.
Public secondary school options in the western suburbs have been limited after successive State governments closed four schools in the past 15 years - Scarborough (1999), Hollywood (2000), Swanbourne (2000) and City Beach (2005) - and Perth Modern School became academically selective in 2007.
Mr Collier would not be drawn on when a new school would be built, other than saying it would be in the "short to medium term".
He said the biggest pressure points were around Churchlands and City Beach, and the Education Department was looking at some possible sites in those areas.
"The whole of the western suburbs is under enormous pressure with regards to student population," Mr Collier said.
"We've got to do something about it and this is the start. It's part of the puzzle."
Shadow education minister Sue Ellery said Churchlands and Shenton College were already at capacity, raising concerns about the effect overcrowding would have on student learning.
'It's almost looking like a demountable city and that's not something any government wants.'"Education Minister *Peter Collier *
