NSW public school demountables: More space to run free under plans to replace 230+ temporary classrooms

Seven of the state’s most crowded schools will have dozens of temporary classrooms replaced with brand new buildings. Read the full list of every demountable in NSW and see how your school compares.

Nine-year-old Madeleine Dulimov’s mum Jenny is thrilled her daughter’s school - which has 43 demountables - is finally getting an upgrade. Picture: Tom Parrish

Seven of the state’s most crowded schools will have dozens of temporary classrooms replaced with brand new buildings in the coming years, but The Daily Telegraph can reveal the number of demountables being used in NSW has grown.

Analysis of the Department of Education’s mid-year census of temporary structures shows 6740 demountable classrooms, canteens, staffrooms and toilets were in use on school sites in 2024 compared to 6684 in 2023 – an increase of 56 spaces.

While 126 schools have fewer demountables than they did previously 167 schools have been saddled with more.

Carlingford West Public School in Epping remains the state’s most demountable-covered school with 87 on the site, one more than in 2023.

In Education Minister Prue Car’s own electorate of Londonderry, Northbourne Public School has undergone a 50 per cent increase in demountables, up from 40 to 61.

There are now 87 demountable facilities at Carlingford West Public School. Picture: James Gourley/The Daily Telegraph

In neighbouring electorate Riverstone, Riverbank Public School and The Ponds High School both have more than 50 demountables on site.

The Premier and Education Minister have pledged to take at least 230 demountables off seven public school sites by the end of 2026 – including Carlingford West PS – to free up space to play and give schoolchildren new, permanent facilities.

“We are making targeted investments to ensure, no matter the postcode, families in New South Wales have access to a quality, free, public education,” Premier Chris Minns said.

Upgrades are also underway to remove demountables at Darcy Road Public School where there were 36 temporary learning or admin spaces at the census, Cumberland High School which has 32, Matthew Pearce Public School (23) and Castle Hill Public School (25).

All 17 demountables are to be removed and replaced with sports courts at Concord High School, where work has commenced to increase the school’s capacity by 50 per cent.

Girraween Public School has just three permanent classrooms to accommodate more than 1200 students, resulting in 43 demountables being added to the site.

One of the dozens of demountable classrooms at Girraween Public School. Picture: Tom Parrish

Principal Jodi-Ann Warner said the demountables are “old and run down” after being ported back and forth between various schools.

However the real problem is the playground they occupy, she said, leaving students with so little space they can’t kick a ball or use hula hoops.

“Our children can’t even play sport at our school,” Mrs Warner said.

“They had to go to other venues, but the bus cost has risen so much they can’t go to those venues anymore.

“An anecdote we have is ‘the only place you have to run is on the spot’ because there’s no space for the children to run around.”

Jenny Dulimov with her daughter Madeleine, 9, outside Girraween Public School where demountable classrooms will finally be replaced with a brand new complex. Picture: Tom Parrish

After a 10-year community campaign the sod will today (Monday) finally be turned on the construction of a new three-storey building, replacing most of the demountables with basketball courts, cricket nets and plenty of green space.

Jenny and Peter Dulimov, parents to nine-year-old Girraween PS student Madeleine, are “very, very excited” about the rebuild.

“(They’re) quite small, the classroom demountables that we already have,” Madeleine added.

Ms Car said the project makes good on promises “broken” by the previous government from as far back as 2017.

“Students and staff at Girraween Public School were left to teach and learn in ageing demountables that became a permanent fixture,” she said.

“These new facilities will provide the modern learning tools to help develop students’ skills and set them up for academic success, and I look forward to seeing them complete in 2026.”

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