Report says at least six new independent schools needed on Gold Coast
Experts say the Gold Coast must get six new private schools in coming years, with five clustered in just one area. Here’s where they are expected to be built.
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THE GOLD Coast needs at least six new independent schools to a tune of $267.1 million in order to keep up with its population growth, say industry experts.
A new report by independent Schools Queensland today revealed that high land and infrastructure costs could be behind the lack of choice for parents when it came to private schools in the city.
In order to meet the demand the peak independent schooling body predicts that by 2036 another five private schools will need to be built in the northern Gold Coast region and another in Nerang to service an extra 6404 independent school students.
On average, the independent schooling sector in Queensland already spends more than $300 million on school facilities each year.
About 80 per cent is funded by parents and borrowings. The remainder is provided by governments.
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ISQ Executive Director David Robertson said while campuses are expanding, demand is unlikely to be met without new schools.
“Parental choice could be curtailed if the sector cannot afford the high infrastructure price tag associated with future forecast growth in Queensland’s school-age population,” Mr Robertson said.
“Time is critical, with the report showing that the majority of new schooling provision will be required from 2021 onwards. Six new independent schools are forecast between 2021-2026 and 14 between 2026 and 2036.
“The independent sector will be advocating strongly for new school start-up support during the 2020 Queensland State Election.
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“We’ll be putting forward a case for an additional $20 million a year in state government funding to go towards the $62.5 million annual investment for the forecast future independent school facilities that will be needed.”
The peak body argues it’s more cost-effective for governments to provide a small level of capital and land seed funding, rather than face the full public cost of accommodating and educating students in the government system who may have otherwise been educated in the independent sector.
Across the state an additional 21 new Prep-Year 12 independent schools at a cost of $935 million are expected to be needed by 2036.
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