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WA opposition accuses government of 'decade of poor planning' as new schools rely heavily on demountables

Document tabled in parliament shows more than half of classrooms at some recently built primary schools are transportable

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources2 outlets
The Western Australian opposition has accused the state government of failing to plan for enrolment growth, pointing to a new parliamentary document that reveals many schools opened since 2017 are heavily reliant on demountable classrooms, with some having more than half of all classrooms in transportable buildings.

Opposition education spokesman Liam Staltari said Labor came into office nearly 10 years ago decrying the use of transportables but the situation had "never been worse". He claimed more than 4000 transportables were now placed across WA schools, crowding out ovals and green space, and that nearly one in six WA classrooms was now a transportable.

"At its core, this is the result of a decade of poor planning and underfunding," Staltari said. "Even schools established in obvious growth corridors have been underserved and now rely on far too many transportables."

The document tabled in parliament lists 30 new primary schools and eight new secondary schools opened since 2017, along with the number of transportables at each and the percentage of total classrooms that represents.

Wellard Primary School (opened 2018), Oakwood Primary School and Aspiri Primary School (both opened 2019) all have more than half of their classrooms in transportable buildings. At Riva Primary School, 38 per cent of classrooms are transportable.

The opposition claims the Department of Education has relied on demountables to accommodate growing enrolments, particularly along the southern growth corridor and in newer northern suburbs.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Parents and students in Perth's growth corridors are being taught in temporary buildings that may lack the facilities of permanent classrooms.
  • The reliance on demountables raises questions about long-term education funding and infrastructure planning in WA.
  • The issue is likely to feature in upcoming state political contests, with the opposition using it as a key line of attack.

Background

WA has experienced strong population growth in recent years, particularly in outer metropolitan areas. The state government, led by Labor since 2017, has overseen the opening of dozens of new schools. However, opposition critics argue that the government has not matched infrastructure delivery with demand, leading to a heavy reliance on temporary classroom solutions.

Key Perspectives

WA Opposition (Liam Staltari): Claims the government has engaged in a decade of poor planning and underfunding, leaving new schools with excessive numbers of transportables that crowd out recreational space. WA Government/Department of Education: The source articles do not include a response from the government or the department. Their perspective on the use of demountables and the reasons for their deployment is not represented in the available material. Critics/Skeptics: Some may argue that the opposition's figures are selective or that demountables are a flexible solution in fast-growing areas where permanent construction cannot keep pace. However, no such arguments are present in the source articles.

What to Watch

  • Any response from the WA government or Education Department addressing the specific schools named in the parliamentary document.
  • Future state budget allocations for permanent school infrastructure in growth corridors.
  • Whether the opposition's claims gain traction with parents and communities affected by the issue.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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