Independent Vaucluse candidate Karen Freyer speaks out over public high school demand

After community pressure led to a public consultation for a potential new co-ed public high school, an independent candidate has questioned the veracity of the Liberal government’s claims the school is not needed.

Rose Bay Secondary College, Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

An independent candidate running in the seat of Vaucluse has hit back at claims by the State Government that the eastern suburbs will not need a new public high school for years to come.

Independent candidate Karen Freyer told supporters via her website she had written to Minister Education Sarah Mitchell to demand her office reveal the data behind its population and demographic projections for the area.

Ms Freyer requested “transparency” on information around current population projections and reports referring to current demographic projections that led to the recent announcement the state government would undertake community consultation on public high school demand.

The independent candidate wrote to NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell about the state government’s modelling on public school demand. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The independent candidate has questioned claims made by outgoing Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton that, based on current population projections, eastern suburbs schools were able to accommodate current and future student demand through existing schools.

“There is only one government high school in the Waverley Local Government Area, which is Rose Bay Secondary College, and that is over capacity,” Ms Freyer’s letter read.

“Inner Sydney High School is already at capacity and has never been able to take any kids out of catchment, despite opening only three years ago.

“Several high schools in the east have closed in the past two decades, including Vaucluse and North Randwick,” the letter said.

Independent candidate Karen Freyer is running on a ‘teal’-aligned platform. Photos: Renee Nowytarger

The pushback also a December announcement that the State Government would launch public consultation around whether two public high schools in the seat of Coogee, Randwick Boys High School and Randwick Girls High School, should be merged to create a larger coeducational school.

Another option to be canvassed will be to extend the intake areas of existing coeducational high schools to provide families with the option of single-sex or coeducation.

A Department of Education spokesman told NewsLocal the demographic need for school facilities was reviewed on a “continual basis”.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns promised a new public high school for Sydney’s western suburbs at a recent press conference. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“The Department of Education’s long term projections are informed by census data and dwelling and population projections provided by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, in conjunction with local councils,” the spokesman said.

The department said the consultation set for Term 1 of 2023 would be carried out by an independent agency, which would “canvass community views, including possible changes to intake areas and future options for both single-sex and coeducational settings.

“It will help determine the best options for local families going forward.”

Randwick Boys High School at Randwick in Sydney.

The re-emergence of the public high school issue comes as Labor focuses education funding promises in Sydney’s west.

Mr Minns restated his promise to build a new high school in the western Sydney suburb of Melrose Place if there is a change of government at the election, calling the west a “key battleground” at a press conference on Wednesday.

Mr Minns said development forecasts showed the community “desperately” needed more educational facilities.

“We know how many buildings are gonna go up, we can almost predict to the person how many children will need to go into a local public school, but we never build the infrastructure the community needs.”

NSW Department of Planning and Environment data shows the Parramatta LGA is projected to add 11,495 dwellings to its housing supply in the next five years, while The Hills LGA is projected to add 14,375 – part of the state government’s ambitious plans to support population growth in greater Sydney.

By contrast, Woollahra and Waverley LGAs are projected to gain 640 and 1290 homes respectively.

The NSW Department of Education previously rejected a proposal to turn Randwick Boys‘ High into a co-ed school in 2019 after the idea was raised by the Coalition ahead of a tight race for the seat of Coogee, which encompasses the boys and girls public high schools.