Liverpool schools are overcrowded, with Labor calling for better investment
About one-third of Liverpool’s public schools are exceeding enrolment numbers, with one 550-student capacity campus at Prestons now home to more than 1000 students. Find out what the government is doing about it and tell us, do you think it’s enough?
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Nearly a third of all public schools in the Liverpool city area are over capacity - with one school close to 500 students above its enrolment cap - according to the most recent figures.
Data obtained by the NSW Opposition using the powers of the NSW Legislative Council show 14 schools in the Liverpool local government area exceed capacity.
Dalmeny Public School, in Prestons, was at the top of the list, operating at a staggering 186.5 per cent of its capacity, according to the figures.
The school’s permanent capacity is listed as 555, but its total enrolment in April 2020 was 1035 students. It is also recorded as having 21 demountables.
The second most crowded schools were Casula Public School (150.5 per cent), Greenway Park Public School (147.5 per cent), Wattle Grove Public School (139 per cent) and Hoxton Park Public School (132.8 per cent).
A NSW Education Department spokeswoman said the enrolment cap was “not the number of local students a school can accommodate” but “a guide for schools managing their out of area enrolments”.
“The out of area enrolment guide helps schools and the department balance the demand for schools geographically and plan for future schools and upgrades,” the spokeswoman said.
Dalmeny Public P&C president Rebecca Singh said apart from a few exceptions, the majority of the school population was made up of students from the area.
She believes a second school zoned for the other half of Prestons would help relieve the overcrowding issues at Dalmeny, where her daughter attends school.
“We have a large school population and the school was only built for 500 students. We keep losing playground space to demountable buildings,” Ms Singh said.
She said whole-school events were not possible and needed to be staged over several days, traffic at school pick-up and drop-off times was a “huge” problem, and issues such as leaky roofs in demountable classrooms had seen students displaced until the issue is resolved.
“Our kids tend to miss out on opportunities because of the size of the school,” she said.
The issues have been an ongoing concern since Ms Singh enrolled her daughter, now in Year 6, at the school.
Liverpool state Labor MP Paul Lynch said the current situation was “completely unacceptable”.
“These are the government’s own figures which show they’re treating the Liverpool region as second class citizens,” he said.
“The government talks about planning for schools – but they’re not providing the level of resources or facilities we need.”
Liverpool community campaigner Michael Andjelkovic, who has been calling for more investment in new schools in Sydney’s booming southwest, said Liverpool schools were “bursting at the seams”.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that local schools in the Liverpool area are overcrowded and yet plans for more to be built in areas where new estates and housing development is high are being delayed.”
Mr Andjelkovic said the lack of schools in Edmondson Park had a ripple effect on nearby schools such as Prestons Public, where many parents were forced to send their children.
The Education Department said works were underway on new schools to add to the region’s 47 public schools.
“The new primary school in Liverpool and the major upgrade at Liverpool West Public are currently in the design stage. Construction for both projects is scheduled to start in 2021.
“Early planning is underway for Liverpool Boys High School and Liverpool Girls High School, a new primary school at Edmondson Park and a new high school at Edmondson Park, focusing on ensuring that the local community is catered for well into the future.”
Planning is also underway for an upgrade at Cecil Hills High School.
“The department will continue to monitor the growth in the Liverpool area, to ensure appropriate educational infrastructure is planned and provided for the growing community,” the spokeswoman said.
LIVERPOOL SCHOOLS AND THEIR ACTUAL V CAP CAPACITY 2020
Dalmeny Public School — 186.5 per cent (April enrolment 1035, enrolment cap 555)
Casula Public School — 150.5 per cent (April enrolment 870, enrolment cap 578)
Greenway Park Public School — 147.5 per cent (April enrolment 751, enrolment cap 509)
Wattle Grove Public School — 139 per cent (April enrolment 610, enrolment cap 439)
Hoxton Park Public School — 132.8 per cent (April enrolment 676, enrolment cap 509)
Hinchinbrook Public School — 121.8 per cent (April enrolment 620, enrolment cap 509)
Chipping Norton Public School — 121.6 per cent (April enrolment 338, enrolment cap 278)
John Edmondson High School — 119.4 per cent (April enrolment 1170, enrolment cap 980)
Liverpool West Public School — 118.5 per cent (April enrolment 712, enrolment cap 601)
Liverpool Public School — 113.1 per cent (April enrolment 732, enrolment cap 647)
Green Valley Public School — 108.4 per cent (April enrolment 426, enrolment cap 393)
Holsworthy Public School — 105.1 per cent (April enrolment 680, enrolment cap 647)
Casula High School — 103.3 per cent (April enrolment 1095, enrolment cap 1060)
Prestons Public School — 102 per cent (April enrolment 707, enrolment cap 693)
Do you know more? Email cindy.ngo@news.com.au