CLOSEast, Wentworth federal election candidates 2022 on new public high school for eastern suburbs Sydney

The plight of a new high school in Sydney’s east has become a fresh battleground, five weeks out from the federal election.

With highly regarded but over capacity Rose Bay Secondary College bursting at the seams, the campaign for a second public high school for Wentworth remains a key issue at the election.

During the 2018 by-election, public school activist Licia Heath of CLOSEast – who was part of the successful campaign for Inner Sydney High School – ran as an independent and garnered immense support.

“The fight for a news school absolutely is continuing,” Ms Heath said.

“There’s two tiers to our campaign. Ensuring a new asset is going to be available to the growing population of the eastern suburbs, particularly in the northern part, and also ensuring our current high school assets are being looked after and getting appropriate funding.”

Ms Heath urged the successful candidate to stay true to their pledges on the desperately needed high school.

“What is important not just for our campaign but for the community is to see this is being worked on not just in the election cycle but in between,” Ms Heath said.

“We’re not wedded to where the school needs to be, though we believe it needs to be a vertical high school with immediate access to open green space, but at the end of the day that’s not our call.

“It’s up to state and federal representatives to be across land availability and ensure they are future proofing for new generations by ensuring the increasing residential development in the area is being met with equivalent public school spots.”

Allegra Spender has stated on her election pamphlets that she supports a new public high school – a stance she said she reached after consulting with CLOSEast and numerous local families.

“They are telling me that they have very little choice when it comes to public education, particularly for secondary schools. There’s clearly a pressing need for a second state high school in Wentworth,” Ms Spender said.

Allegra Spender is backing the call for another public high school. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

“I’ve worked very closely with schools before. For the past four years I was CEO of an education not-for-profit where I worked with 200 state high school principals. I look forward to working with the education sector again, this time to push hard for a second high school in Wentworth.

“I’m aware that possible locations for a new high school have been canvassed, including one in Oxford St, Bondi Junction. Any choice of location would require both local and state government input.

“Clearly, space is a premium in Wentworth so the solution may require some creative thinking.”

Sitting member for Wentworth Dave Sharma includes “fighting for a new public high school in the eastern suburbs” in his election pamphlets.

“As someone who attended public high school, I am a strong supporter of our public school system and want to ensure parents in our eastern suburbs have a choice about where to send their children,” he says.

Wentworth MP and father of three Dave Sharma has also pledged his support.

“That is why, when Inner Sydney High School opened in 2020, I fought to ensure the catchment boundaries were redrawn to open up opportunities for more students in the eastern suburbs. The catchment area for Inner Sydney now extends as far east as Bellevue Hill.

“I am also fighting for money to upgrade Randwick Boys’ and Randwick Girls’ high schools, so they are a more attractive choice for parents. Beyond that, I have helped reduce out-of-area enrolments at Rose Bay Secondary school, so there are more spaces for local children.

“But I believe, in the longer term, we need to find a suitable site for a second public high school in the east, and to begin planning for that. I am in regular contact with the NSW education minister regarding this issue.

“Community views and the availability of land are the key criteria. In an area as densely populated as the eastern suburbs, suitable sites are not easy to come by.”

Sharma says he has been in regular contact with Minister Sarah Mitchell, as well as local state MPs, including Gabrielle Upton and Alex Greenwich, on the matter.

“Much has changed,” he says. “The catchment boundaries of Inner Sydney High School have shifted dramatically east. More local places are now available at Rose Bay Secondary high school. And the NSW government has put Randwick Boys’ and Randwick Girls’ high schools in the budget for projected upgrades. The net result has been more public high school places and more choice for parents in the east.”

Labor’s Tim Murray said state and federal LNP had failed to make any progress on the school during their decade in power.

“Rose Bay College is operating at 110 per cent of capacity and has a backlog of maintenance. Public primary schools in Wentworth are operating at capacity. We have a crisis in the making over the next few years as those primary school kids will need a place in a high school,” Mr Murray said.

“That must be addressed as a priority for families in this area. In the short term we need to ensure Rose Bay College receives all the necessary maintenance funding and the option to convert Randwick Boys High into a comprehensive coeducation high school must be explored. The last time families were asked the overwhelming majority wanted it.

“Longer term we need to build a new public high school and a full audit of public land needs to be done to find the most appropriate site. There are many modern ways to blend high schools and community facilities into one project. As a Waverley Councillor I fully support working with the state and other local governments in that process.

“The Federal Government can fund maintenance and capital works and the ALP has announced a Schools Upgrade Fund to do that.”

The Greens’ Dominic Wy Kanak is seething that nothing has been done to progress the school. Photo: MONIQUE HARMER

The Greens candidate Dominic WY Kanak said he fully backed CLOSEast’s campaign both for the new school and adequate funding for Rose Bay Secondary College.

“There are a number of possible locations, though one which I know has received local support is adjacent to Edgecliff Station. There would need to be careful planning and consultation on the location before any decisions are made,” Mr WY Kanak said.

“The federal government has the capacity to fund capital works for public schools and to build new public schools. Past governments have chosen to devote most capital funding to private schools at the expense of public schools.

“The lack of action is an indictment of the Coalition government and our local MP who promised his support for a new school.”

The Liberal Democrat candidate Daniel Lewkovitz believes the Aussie school system is a shambles. Picture: Richard Dobson

Liberal Democrat candidate Daniel Lewkovitz said as the father of two high school aged children he was disgusted at the state of public education.

“Given the disastrous performance of Australian education we need to move education out of the hands of bureaucrats (and particularly Canberra) and start restoring decision making to parents,” Mr Lewkovitz said.

“Red tape needs to be removed to allow entrepreneurs to develop new and innovative systems of education to bring us up to world standard. Right now this is impossible.

“The LibDems decentralised education policy, as outlined in our Freedom Manifesto proposes funding students rather than institutions. That way parents can choose to direct their funding to quality education providers rather than be stuck with poor choices as is presently the case. This would benefit all parents, not only those with the means to choose a private school.”

United Australia Party candidate for Wentworth Natalie Dumer says closing Vaucluse High was a big mistake.

United Australia Party’s Natalie Dumer said she was puzzled by the decision to close Vaucluse High, which operated during her youth, to make way for Mark Moran Retirement Village.

“I totally understand the need for the ageing population but I am also concerned that we require an alternative to private schools in the Wentworth electorate other than Rose Bay,” Ms Dumer said.

“With the cost of living rising, private schools may not necessarily be attainable for a proportion of Wentworth. We are the second highest tax paying electorate in Australia and we absolutely deserve the choice for our children which at present is minimal.”

Originally published as CLOSEast, Wentworth federal election candidates 2022 on new public high school for eastern suburbs Sydney