Education Department boss criticised for ‘only’ 43 applications for Findon Technical College despite $1.2m ad spend

The Education Department boss has told parliament $1.2m spent on attracting 43 students so far to a new technical college was money well spent.

Fewer than 50 students have so far applied for enrolment at a new technical college set to open next year, despite the Education Department spending $1.2m in an advertising campaign to entice them to enrol.

The chief executive of the Education Department, Martin Westwell, revealed at a Budget and Finance Committee hearing before parliament on Monday that despite the campaign, the latest numbers show only 43 students enrolled at Findon Technical College.

At the committee hearing Mr Westwell said only 24 students had enrolled to July 14, but that number has since been corrected.

Education Department chief executive Martin Westwell. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

The funding for the campaign, including television advertising, came from the federal government’s Gonski allocation, designed to support schools.

Mr Westwell admitted it was “unusual” for the department to use Gonski funding to advertise but maintained it was necessary.

“Because we’re promoting that opportunity and letting the students and parents know what’s available, yes we’re using this Gonski allocation,” Mr Westwell told the committee.

“This was something that the department had been considering for a while.”

While the advertising campaign is for five technical colleges being built across the state to be completed by 2026 at a cost of $208.8m, currently only Findon is open for enrolments.

The other technical colleges will be located at the Heights School, the Tonsley Innovation precinct, Port Augusta and Mt Gambier.

Mr Westwell said state Education Minister Blair Boyer and Premier Peter Malinauskas were “up to date” with the planning of the campaign, set to run until November.

“It was worth it, it was an appropriate spend of the money in order to make sure South Australians were aware of this opportunity.”

Opposition education spokesman John Gardner slammed the spending associated with the campaign.

“It’s alarming that this $1.2m campaign has resulted in only 24 enrolment applications according to today’s evidence – that’s $50,000 per student,” Mr Gardner said.

“Education Department funding should be invested wisely in the futures of South Australian students, not squandered on what some would characterise as political advertising,” Mr Gardner said.

Greens MLC Tammy Franks also scrutinised the spending, and said the advertising could have gone towards “perhaps funding scholarships to help students get through their education”.

Greens MLC Tammy Franks. Picture Dean Martin

The school is set to have an intake of 120 students next year, with an even split between year 10 and 11 students entering the technical college at Findon High School.

Mr Westwell was not concerned with the number of enrolments so far.

“As we get closer to the end of the year, that will build as there’s more course counselling in schools,” he said. “At the moment, they’re looking at their options.”

The technical college is “on track and will be ready” for students to attend next year.

Findon Technical College applications opened in May.

Mr Boyer said the new school, in addition to enrolments, has received 96 expressions of interest.

“Since the beginning of Term 3 when enrolments for 2024 commenced at our schools, enrolments and expressions of interest for the Findon Technical College have grown.”

He said there was “strong demand” for places the college.

The college, which is located between the city and Osborne Naval Shipyard, has partnered with global defence company BAE Systems to offer about students jobs upon the completion of their course.

The college will have programs for students in years 10 to 12 such as Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering which features topics including industrial maintenance, welding and computer-aided design.

Other education streams at Findon Technical College will focus on early childhood and education and training in health and social care with industry partnership opportunities.

Originally published as Education Department boss criticised for ‘only’ 43 applications for Findon Technical College despite $1.2m ad spend