No guarantee of public school high school place in Adelaide CBD, with department considering new high school

Families seeking a spot at one of Adelaide’s two CBD high schools aren’t guaranteed a place beyond 2022 – even if they apply in time.

Families moving into the Adelaide city area can’t be guaranteed of a place for their child at Adelaide High or Adelaide Botanic High beyond next year, the Education Department has told a parliamentary committee.

Families applying in time for entry at Year 7 or 8 in 2022 will get a place, but high population growth means it’s not possible to give a guarantee beyond that, the Budget and Finance Committee was told on Monday.

“There’s no hiding” the demographic challenge, chief executive Rick Persse said.

The increase in apartments in the city centre and inner suburbs was driving enrolment pressure.

Mr Persse said he wanted to consider whether a new high school should be built between the city and Roma Mitchell Secondary College in Gepps Cross.

This could be in the Prospect area but the department was still at the point of analysing demographics and has yet to seek Cabinet approval to develop a business case.

A new school could have its own zone, leading to some areas currently in the shared zone of Adelaide High and Adelaide Botanic being swapped into the new zone – but any such decision was several steps ahead.

The Adelaide Botanic High School, which opened in 2019 Picture: AAP / Kelly Barnes

Education Department chief executive Rick Persse. Picture: MATT LOXTON

Mr Persse said the department was working with Adelaide High and Adelaide Botanic to maximise how many students they could accept but they might not be able to keep pace with population growth.

Data supplied under freedom of information to Senator Rex Patrick last week showed 99 students had registered for a place at Adelaide High and 20 at Adelaide Botanic while living in the zone but without securing a place this year.

Department executive director Anne Millard told the parliamentary committee these waiting lists were compiled by the schools but the department had not verified them.

She said many had moved into the zone or applied late.

Asked whether a family applying now from within the zone for a place next year in Year 9 could be assured of a place, Ms Millard said: “Not necessarily.”

The new north and south secondary schools – Riverbanks College at Angle Vale and Aldinga Payinthi College – are expected to have enrolment pressure as soon as they open.

Both schools are due open next year with Reception to Year 8 levels and then expand by a secondary level each year to accommodate Year 12s by 2026

On the Year 7 move to high school and teacher recruitment, the department will cut jobs of contract teachers at primary school level if insufficient permanents transition to high school or the natural churn leaves primary schools overstaffed.

The department needs about 1000 more teachers at secondary school but 500 fewer at primary level.

Stage 1 of the recruitment process – where public school primary teachers could be retrained for secondary – attracted 110 teachers.

Last week, the government opened stage 2, where any registered teacher can apply.

There are about 10,000 primary school teachers in public schools, of whom about 2000 are on temporary contracts.