Parramatta East Public School: Petition calls for urgent upgrade
A petition is calling for a long-term solution to fix a western Sydney school where 80 per cent of classrooms are now demountables as enrolments have doubled in the past decade.
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Parents have made an impassioned plea for a “neglected” public school in Parramatta to be urgently upgraded as overcrowding, shrinking playgrounds and a lack of toilets take their toll on students.
Linda Ka, whose son Lewis spent the first term of Year 1 with no classroom, has delivered a petition with 1382 signatures to Parramatta State Liberal MP Geoff Lee calling for a long-term solution to fix a 70-year-old school bursting at the seams.
It comes as demountables now make up a whopping 80 per cent of classrooms at Parramatta East, where the student population has more than doubled in the past decade, with 617 enrolments this year.
There are now 23 demountables at the Brabyn St school, along with five brick buildings, and a further toilet demountable about to open.
Dr Ka said it was “devastating” for parents to see how their school was being brushed in favour of the neighbouring Arthur Phillip redevelopment, where the high-rise primary and secondary schools on Macquarie St are set to open early next year after a $225 million cost blowout.
“Our children are being overlooked and neglected — and it’s clear we’re the poor cousin and we don’t matter to the government,” the optometrist said.
“It’s devastating and infuriating for parents that our children are being left behind.
“The government tells me there’s no funds for a major upgrade of our school, but all that money is going to the neighbouring school. It’s a disgrace.
“Demountables are an obvious interim measure that is wholly disruptive and unsustainable.
Lewis was in one of two classes with no classroom for the first term, and two weeks of term two.
“He attended classes in the library while a demountable was built — and he was anxious and struggled to concentrate during this time.”
The plight of Parramatta East Public flies in the face of Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s comments to kick off Education Week today.
“We are unashamedly for lifting standards in our schools and unlocking the massive potential of our young people,” the Premier said.
“The government is investing a record amount into education to provide students with state-of-the-art learning facilities, lifting academic standards, as well as ensuring every student is valued and cared for at school.”
Dr Ka called on the Premier to intervene as parents expect enrolments at the school to increase by about 20 per cent in 2020.
“My whole petition is asking for long-term planning to upgrade the school. But the government has just turned around and told me it’s not an issue,” Dr Ka said.
“They are only putting in short-term measures — demountable classrooms and demountable toilets. We’re only a stone’s throw from the Parramatta Public School, and look at all the millions of dollars that are going there.”
Dr Lee says he has urged Education Minister Sarah Mitchell to oversee an “urgent review” of Parramatta East Public’s infrastructure needs.
“We’re managing the growth of schools as a cluster, not just individual schools, to manage unprecedented demand,” he said.
“Parramatta East Public has a policy of no out-of-area enrolments unless exceptional circumstances.
“I understand there is a significant amount of out-of-area enrolments at this school.”
Mr Mitchell dodged questions on the school, as well as whether she would support more high-rise schools being built in the future after her predecessor, Rob Stokes, conceded it was an expensive mistake.
‘SHOCKING SITUATION’
Opposition Education spokeswoman Prue Car accused the government of letting down students and teachers at Parramatta East Public.
“This is a shocking situation,” Ms Car said. “I’ll be ramping up the pressure on the government over this issue in parliament in the near future.
“This is part of a broader concern for communities in western Sydney. The government has encouraged record population growth, and they knew there’d be a requirement for upgrades to existing schools, as well as the need for new schools.
“They can build high-rise schools in Parramatta, which blows the budget, but they have forgotten a school like Parramatta East, where there are not even enough toilets for the children.
“If I was a parent at Parramatta East, I’d be questioning why it continues to miss out when it surely should be the first cab off the rank for a big upgrade.”
‘DEMOGRAPHERS GOT IT WRONG’
There are concerns that Sydney won’t have enough high schools in the next decade to accommodate the Harbour City’s rapid population growth.
P & C NSW vice-president Tim Spencer, who represents northwest Sydney, said that many primary and high schools were already overcrowded as the Education Department had failed to plan for the increased demand.
“Out of the 100 schools in my area, there’s a quarter of those bulging at the seams, where there’s a large amount of demountables and a lack of playground space,” Mr Spencer said.
“The department’s demographers have got it badly wrong.
“The government has put a lot of attention into building new primary schools, but there’s been nothing in the secondary space.
“At some point these kids will be old enough to go to high school, but there’s going to be a shortage of places. There’s already a number of high schools straining under the weight of extra enrolments.”
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