Huge response to petition to keep Qld’s smartest school

An astounding number of people have signed a petition to stop an acclaimed school moving to Coorparoo.

QASMT students at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology. Laura Boyle, Archie Mukherjee, Jackson Huang, Grace Solas and Madison Phillips get in some off-site experience. QASMT parents say the Academy was always meant to be near a university.

More than 1200 people have signed a petition calling for Queensland’s top-performing school to stay where it is, after suggestions it make way for the westside’s first new primary school in 60 years.

More than $33 million worth of university-standard facilities would be flushed down the drain if the “Smart State’’ Academy in Toowong was moved to Coorparoo, parents say.

Two-time Labor candidate for the area, Palani Thevar, slammed the idea.

And in a rare “alliance’’, LNP politicians have sided with his call to keep the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) where it is.

Shadow Education spokesman Christian Rowan said he already had 1200 signatures on his petition since it went live at 4.30pm on Tuesday (March 16).

Dr Rowan said the petition would remain open until midnight on April 18.

“(QASMT) is an important educational institution within Brisbane’s western suburbs. It has had a significant investment in purpose-built infrastructure at its current location,’’ he said.

“Any consideration to move the school would cause significant disruption, and jeopardise the educational outcomes of current students and future graduates.

“Along with the Greens Member for Maiwar (Michael Berkman), the former Labor candidate, Palani Thevar, should get on with supporting this petition to the Queensland Parliament.

“(He should) ensure that the Minister for Education, Grace Grace, rules out the relocation of QASMT and commits to finding a more suitable location for the new Brisbane Inner West Primary School.”

The State Government promised during last year’s election that it would build a new westside primary school to alleviate massive overcrowding in the area.

But a proposal to site the school, which could accommodate up to 900 students, on the grounds of Indooroopilly State High School has met with fierce resistance.

Locals, two LNP politicians and the local state Greens MP were concerned at even worse traffic.

Quest Newspapers revealed last week that Education Queensland was also actively considering moving the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) in Toowong to Coorparoo. It’s buildings would then be retrofitted to house the new primary school.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tours the Indooroopilly State High School multipurpose shelter construction site. A proposal to site a new primary school at ISHS has met fierce resistance. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Thevar, who unsuccessfully contested the state westside seat of Maiwar last year and at the previous election, has however supported Indooroopilly as a location for the new school.

He slammed the idea of moving QASMT in a recent Facebook post.

“The Greens and LNP should keep off (sic) your shortsighted views and stop misleading the community re QASMT,’’ he posted.

“The QASMT is built for high school students. This is a unique school that provides the best education for locals and the wider Brisbane community.

“Asking Queensland Education (sic) to move QASMT to a different area is not an immediate or cost-effective solution.’’

He said the real need for more primary school places was in the Indooroopilly area, as demonstrated by the rising enrolments at Indooroopilly State School and Ironside State School.

QASMT P&C president, Winand D’Souza, said the Government had only just finished a major, $33 million expansion which took the school from Year 10-12 to a full Year 7-12 campus.

“Even moving 500m down the road would create enormous disruption,’’ Mr D’Souza said.

“They have just spent a lot of taxpayer money on facilities that are university standard.

“This is the top performing school in Queensland. These students are the future.

“It was always the intention when the Smart State academies (there is another in Kelvin Grove and one on the Gold Coast) were built that they would be co-located or near universities.’’

THE NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL SAGA SO FAR

Two suburbs earmarked by Premier, Education Minister

$65m cash injection for new school

Fury as Indooroopilly site revealed

Public to get a say in siting of primary school

St Peters, Taringa Rovers join school fight

QASMT has developed strong links to the University of Queensland since it opened in 2007.

It is a 100 per cent selective school, with entry based on passing tough exams.

The Save Toowong Creek lobby group, which waged a long battle last year to stop a fence around the QASMT playing fields, said it would fight even harder if QASMT remained and a primary school was also added to the site.

That option would generate massive traffic problems, with residents already complaining about limited street parking and congestion during school drop-off and pick-up.

Save Toowong Creek waged a pitched battle last year to stop what it feared were plans for a large fence around QASMT. It opposes further expansion at the site. Picture: Richard Walker

QASMT students, who study an International Baccalaureate instead of the ATAR university entrance system, outperform even the elite Brisbane Grammar School every year.

Mr D’Souza said while some families commuted to get to QASMT, many had bought houses or moved closer to Toowong in recent years.

“I know of families who have bought in (surrounding streets) whose children haven’t started yet — they have been accepted for enrolment in 2022,’’ he said.

“To move the school to (Coorparoo Secondary College) would not be fair to them.’’

Coorparoo is heavily under-utilised and was mooted as a potential site for a new high school several years ago, before the Inner South State Secondary College was eventually built at Dutton Park.

It was also suggested as far back as 2013 that Coorparoo could merge with overcrowded Brisbane State High School, but a huge backlash forced then Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek to back down.

Michael Berkman will meet QASMT parents on Monday to discuss their concerns. Picture: David Clark

Local state Greens MP, Michael Berkman, is due to meet parents at QASMT on Monday (March 15).

Mr D’Souza said they would be pressing him to give a commitment to support their position on staying at Toowong.

Mr Berkman opposes the Indooroopilly site, as does local LNP Councillor James Mackay and local federal LNP MP Julian Simmonds.

Quest Newspapers understands Education Queensland also approached the University of Queensland about hosting the primary school, but did not pursue that option after UQ offered a “high ball’’ offer.

Other sites Mr Berkman has said constituents have raised with him, such as the TriCare aged care development site in Taringa, have major access issues.

Cr Mackay said the defunct Toowong Bowls Club was not on the table and would be retained as a sporting venue.