Education department boffins admit struggles with city enrolment numbers and no plan for new schools

THE Education Department has admitted it is unprepared to deal with a “once-in-a-generation” influx of primary school students in the inner city.

A new campus for Ultimo Public School, at the corner of Fig and Wattle streets, was knocked back by the NSW Government.

THE Department of Education has admitted it may be unprepared to deal with a “once-in-a-generation” influx of primary school students in the inner city.

On Friday, department representatives were quizzed on its preparedness to handle the rising number of children falling into the catchment as part of a parliamentary inquiry into enrolment capacities at inner-city primary schools and the controversial redevelopment of Ultimo Public School.

Department asset management executive director Anthony Perrau said the inner city was facing a “once-in-a-generation enrolment surge” – a surge the department may not be able to cater for, particularly in growth areas such as The Bays Precinct and Green Square.

While Mr Perrau said the department was confident current projects would cater for student demand until 2036, he admitted it had no idea how many children would be moving into the Bays Precinct.

NSW Education Minister Andrew Piccoli.

“The Bays Precinct is an unknown for us at this stage,” Mr Perrau said.

He confirmed department had not progressed in its discussions with UrbanGrowth NSW, the State Government’s infrastructure arm, about the need for a school in the development, despite an estimation from the City of Sydney the site would house about 10,000 people.

Greens MLC David Shoebridge said the department had “thrown their hands up the air” when it came to projecting the need for school places.

“What is troubling is the lack of co-ordination at a state level between UrbanGrowth, who is maximising short-term financial returns, and the Education Department, which is playing catch up,” Mr Shoebridge said.

The inquiry also revealed the entire Ultimo pop-up school would be built on a raised platform due to contaminants in the soil.

Ultimo Public School will be housed in a pop-up at Wentworth Park. Picture: John Appleyard

Mr Shoebridge said housing students on the contaminated site was “contrary” to the department’s refusal to commit to building a school on the state-owned Fig and Wattle site due to “unacceptable” levels of contamination.

He said the inquiry posed a “clear opportunity for the government to press reset”.

“They can take a step back and look again at their own expert evidence and commit to Fig and Wattle.”

Originally published as Education department boffins admit struggles with city enrolment numbers and no plan for new schools