SAVE WILLIAMSTOWN
Critical shortages in inner-city schools as population swells
The Age
by Natalie Craig
June 13, 2010 - 3:00AM
“MELBOURNE'S population boom is causing a critical shortage of schools in the inner suburbs, with research showing an urgent need for as many as 14 new schools in the next five years.
Research commissioned by The Sunday Age reveals the state government's delay in building new schools in inner suburbs could lead to sudden overcrowding, with more than 4000 additional primary school-aged students expected to be jostling for desk space in 2016.
That's enough students to create 164 extra classes of 25 students each.
Docklands, Southbank, Port Melbourne, Coburg, Northcote, Brunswick and Preston are expected to be placed under the greatest pressure from the soaring student population.
''There's going to be a huge shortfall of schools in inner-suburbs,'' said Melbourne University planning professor Kevin O'Connor, who based his research on official government population projections.
''It's unlikely there is capacity for existing primary schools to grow much more … We've been closing schools and selling school sites, and urban growth has gone on unabated without consideration for social infrastructure.''
Education Department spokesman Nick Higgins said a report looking at school facilities and education needs in central Melbourne was under way, and the department ''had not ruled out building of additional schools in inner Melbourne suburbs''.
But Professor O'Connor said the government's own projections did not account for the trend for families to live in inner-city apartments, and so the number of extra students in 2016 could be even greater.
An early childhood industry source said maternal and child health figures for Docklands alone showed that the government's projections for inner-suburban growth were vastly underestimated.
''Apartments are supposed to suit child-free young professionals and older empty-nesters,'' Professor O'Connor said. ''But this is just not the case any more.''........”
Sunday, 13 June 2010
