Remote and rural Queensland state schools on brink of closure with nine trending toward no students by 2027
They’re the life blood of small Queensland towns but several rural and remote schools are trending toward having no students within four years.
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They’re the lifeblood of small Queensland towns, but several rural and remote schools are facing enrolment extinction and could be slated for closure.
An exclusive Courier-Mail analysis of department of education enrolment predictions has identified nine public primary schools that are trending toward having no students by 2027.
The schools at risk include Birdsville, Guluguba, Hamilton Island, Macknade, Millaroo, Mount Fox, Mount Whitestone, Mutarnee, Orion state schools.
Dozens of others are tracking towards having fewer than five enrolments.
Scarily for bush families, 13 state schools have closed in the past decade including Mackenzie River, Helens Hill and Toowoomba South, according to department records.
It’s triggered concerns from families that any school closures would impact a town’s ability to attract new residents.
Queensland Association of State School Principals president Pat Murphy said if there were declining numbers and even fewer preschool enrolments were identified in the area, conversations would be made about the school’s viability.
However, Mr Murphy said schools would be kept open to ensure there was a service in as many places as possible.
“Particularly in the remote towns, schools are often the life blood of the community,” Mr Murphy said.
Mr Murphy said swings to school enrolment numbers were a reflection of changes to a town’s demographics.
He said schools could be temporarily “mothballed” for a few years until enrolments picked up.
Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association president Wendy Henning said schools were a “massive” drawcard to attracting new residents to small towns.
“We know of families who have left because of not having a secondary school,” Ms Henning said.
“We need to make sure these towns have schools and that they are correctly resourced.
“You need to have access to education for people to come and want to stay, whether it’s in 2027 or now.”
Former Birdsville mayor Geoff Morton said the school’s enrolment numbers tended to “boom and bust” over the years and acknowledged it could be “in danger” of closing.
Mr Morton said the school only had three students enrolled last year in one of the best student to teacher ratios in the country.
“It (the numbers) almost died,” Mr Morton said.
“Anything over 10 is big numbers for us. At one stage it had 20-30 students and they were looking at bringing in a second teacher. But it’s dwindled down.”
Mr Morton said he did not expect the school to close but said it would be a “short sighted” move if it were to come to pass.
“Without a school there would be no population,” he said.
“No mothers would come here, then no fathers would either. It would be impossible to get staff too.”
Tannymorel State School, east of Warwick, closed in 2016, reportedly due to declining student numbers.
“As no enrolments have been identified for 2017 or into the future, the Education Minister recently approved the publication of a notice for the proposed closure of Tannymorel State School,” an education spokesman said at the time.
A department of education spokesman this week confirmed schools could be temporarily closed due to a lack of enrolments.
The spokesman said schools had an important role to play in all communities and were subject to fluctuations in enrolments due to demographic factors.
“The department considers short, medium, and long-term enrolment demand in determining whether to support the temporary closure of a school due to a lack of enrolments,” the spokesman said.
“Temporary closures will only occur after extensive consultation with stakeholders. School
sites can be held by the department for potential future use and reopened if enrolments
increase.”
He said the state government was committed to ensuring all students have access to high quality learning opportunities and at the nearest educational facility.
“The department recognises the important role that state schools play in all communities across the state, including those in rural and remote areas of Queensland,” he said.
In a statement, the spokesman said there were no closures planned for Queensland in 2023 but did not rule out future years.
BIG WINNERS IN SPENDING SPREE
Moonie State School in Queensland’s Western Downs region may not be big in size but it’s mighty by nature, with parents and grandparents who had attended the school in the small farming town rallying to support it.
The 32-student, two-class school is proudly teaching a third generation of children from families in the area.
Principal Belinda Elliott said teaching in rural Queensland had its rewards. “I love the country culture and the way that people in the bush are always so caring and willing to help out wherever possible,” Ms Elliott said.
The parent body and wider community also regularly volunteers their time and resources.
The Queensland government is investing in a range of initiatives to support rural schools.
About $5.6 million will be spent on assisting schools improve outcomes for students disadvantaged due to their geographical isolation.
The department has also outlined a $187 million, five-year partnership with Telstra to boost internet speeds by up to 40 times to all schools by the end of 2023 and 200 times by 2026. Telstra has also partnered with Starlink to deploy Low Earth Orbiting satellites at a number of rural and remote schools, including Moonie.
The department has also pledged free kindergarten for all Queensland families from 2024.
As part of the four-year, $2 billion investment, $40m will be spent to attract and retain early childhood teachers in outer regional and remote communities.
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Originally published as Remote and rural Queensland state schools on brink of closure with nine trending toward no students by 2027
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