Shadow education minister Peter Rundle has spoken out on behalf of the Esperance Senior High School community amid the State Government’s funding announcement for two south metro schools.
Mr Rundle said the announcement of the $100 million to be shared between Rockingham and Safety Bay Senior High Schools for redevelopment is “salt in the wound” for those who have been arguing Esperance’s case.
Residents took to social media, following Premier Mark McGowan’s announcement last Friday, to express their disappointment.
Nationals WA Member for Roe Mr Rundle said he understood why the community was “feeling upset”.
“They feel that this announcement is further proof that people in regional areas of the State are not as deserving of attention as those close to the seat of power,” he said.
Mr Rundle has been among those advocating for redevelopment work to be undertaken at Esperance Senior High School and was a driving force behind the formation of a working group that has been lobbying to progress the cause.
The 1970s-era buildings no longer support the delivery of contemporary education and a recent survey of students indicated many will not use the bathroom facilities on site.
A survey in 2000 marked the south wing of the senior block unfit for purpose, however, it still stands 23 years later, presenting many concerns including dangerous stairways, outmoded classrooms and learning areas that hamper learning.
“I have read petitions into Parliament, calling for the McGowan Government to carry out comprehensive work on upgrading the school to enable the provision of quality education for Esperance,” Mr Rundle said.
“While no one begrudges other schools’ funding, the State Government’s failure to respond to repeated calls for work to be done to the local high school as a matter of urgency leads to the conclusion that it does not care about the education and future of students in this area.”
Mr McGowan and Education Minister Tony Buti attended Rockingham SHS on Friday to make the announcement as part of the upcoming State Budget.
The $100m is set to majorly improve both schools, redeveloping the sites with specialist facilities and upgraded classrooms to make them “ultra-modern” and “attractive to staff and students”.
The Premier said the Education Department would “start planning now”, with both schools to start the projects as soon as possible, although the build dates remained uncertain.
“Both Rockingham Senior High School and Safety Bay Senior High School were built nearly 50 years ago,” he said.
“Times have changed and the layout and design of these schools no longer support delivery of contemporary education.”
Mr Rundle argued the logic used for funding redevelopment of the Rockingham and Safety Bay schools — that they were built 50 years ago and their layout and design no longer supported the delivery of contemporary education — was exactly the argument presented for the Esperance school.
“If anything, the situation here is even more dire, exacerbated by the town’s distance from Perth and other centres of learning,” he said.
“If we want to keep students at the school, and families in the town, we need to make sure that the high school is a great place for local learning.”
Mr Rundle said proof the State “cared” about the school and the region would only be evidenced by inclusion of funding for the necessary work, or plans for it, in this week’s State Budget.