Education Minister, Blair Boyer says more schools will be built to address overcapacity pressure

Two public schools will be built in SA after The Advertiser revealed the state’s public school system is at breaking point. See where they’ll be.

Two public schools will be built after The Advertiser revealed the state’s public school system is at breaking point due to overcapacity.

An Advertiser investigation found that 20 schools across the state will hit their capacity within the next year, prompting Education Minister Blair Boyer to speak to ABC Radio Adelaide this morning.

Mr Boyer said he has plans to build two more schools including one in Mount Barker and one in the northern suburbs.

The second highest capacity school is Mount Barker High School which is projecting a 169 student surplus.

“It’s clear that there is a need for a new school in Mount Barker – and I have approved the development of a business case to investigate options for that area,” the Minister told The Advertiser.

“The Department for Education is also considering options for the northern suburbs where there is also significant growth.

“I have tasked the Department for Education with developing a long-term preschool and school infrastructure strategy, which will help guide better decisions about investments now and into the future.

“There are also a number of actions that can be taken to reduce capacity pressures, such as reducing the number of out-of-zone enrolments.

Any actions taken are focused on prioritising local families accessing their local school.”

The new school in Mount Barker would host around 1500 students up to year 12.

Mt Barker High School. 9 January 2023. Picture Dean Martin

A new school will be built in Mount Barker to deal with overcapacity. Picture Dean Martin

The Education Minister has said schools experiencing capacity issues may be given the power to reject student enrolments.

He said if a “capacity management plan” is in place, it is possible for schools to reject student enrolments despite students being zoned for the school.

“We have those in place in some schools already and have been for a number of years,” Mr Boyer told ABC Radio Adelaide.

Adelaide High, Botanic High, East Marden, Mawson Lakes School and North Adelaide Primary School and just some of the schools which already have the capacity to deny students due to overcapacity.

“Of course, that’s not an ideal situation,” Mr Boyer said.

“We’ll do what’s necessary,” he said.

“My desire as Minister for Education is that people are able to access their local school, wherever possible, and that means that we’re going to have to build more capacity into the system to make sure that parents have that option, wherever possible.”

A Department of Education spokesperson said “all families in South Australia are able to apply to enrol at a non-local/out-of-zone school or preschool of their choice if accommodation and resources are available to accommodate them”.

“When a school with a capacity management plan cannot provide a place to a family living in the school zone, the school will help the family enrol at another nearby school.”

Opposition education spokesman John Gardner told ABC Radio Adelaide the former Liberal government invested $1.5b over four years in educational infrastructure including “the year seven transition, fixing up some very poor standard old buildings. and building five new public schools”.

“Without the work that was done by the former governments including the transition of year seven to high school they’d be a hell of a lot more than 20 schools on that list,” he said.