Demand for inner-city Brisbane classroom places soars

Brisbane’s inner-suburban primary schools are struggling to cope with soaring demand for places, with at least 13 state schools seeing student levels jump by more than 30 per cent since 2015. SEE THE MOST-AFFECTED SCHOOLS

DEMAND is soaring for classroom spots at Brisbane’s inner-suburban primary schools, with millions of dollars of projects under way to cope with the dramatically rising student numbers.

The latest enrolment data shows at least 13 state schools in Brisbane have seen student levels jump by more than 30 per cent in just four years, compared with the state average of 6.6 per cent.

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Meanwhile, the families of another 3000 students are tipped to move to inner-Brisbane in the next five years.

Since 2015, Brisbane Central State School’s enrolment numbers have jumped by more than 52 per cent.

West End State School (48 per cent), Hamilton State School (45 per cent) and Toowong State School (38 per cent) have also seen big rises in enrolments.

At Indooroopilly State School, almost 300 more kids attend than in 2015, while Kelvin Grove State College, which teaches Prep to Year 12, has seen its enrolment numbers increase by more than 1000 students. Education Minister Grace Grace said the number of children living in the inner-city had increased about 30 per cent since 2011, with the population growing almost twice as fast as the state average.

“That’s why in 2017 the Palaszczuk Government launched its Building Future Schools Fund,” she said.

“In and around Brisbane specifically, the Government has spent tens of millions of dollars on new and upgraded school facilities and strategic land purchases for future development to ensure schools can cater for increased enrolments now and into the ­future,” Ms Grace said.

Brisbane primary schools are seeing rising enrolment numbers. St Ita’s Catholic Primary School students Velecia Hynes, 9, Sam Toshack, 11 and Charlotte Zwart. Pic: AAP/Josh Woning

Recent investments included $27 million for land acquisitions for the expansion of West End State School, a $5.9 million classroom block at New Farm State School and $6 million for classrooms at Ironside State School.

New secondary colleges were slated for Fortitude Valley and Dutton Park, along with master planning for 35 existing inner-city schools.

Brisbane Catholic Education’s John Phelan said that enrolment levels at their inner-Brisbane schools, such as St Ita’s Catholic Primary School in Dutton Park, were also strong.

He said BCE planned to open about 20 new schools over the next two decades.

“It’s a fairly ambitious rollout plan, but it reflects the growth we’re seeing,” Mr Phelan said.

“Our philosophy is rather than make existing schools bigger, we prefer to open new schools.

“Once you get schools with 2500 or 3000 kids, they’re hard to run from a pastoral care point of view.”