NEW primary schools set to open in Piara Waters and Treeby in two years time will each have space for more than 500 students.
Both schools will open in 2022 and have a capacity of 540 students from kindergarten to Year 6, with last week’s announcement a deliberate attempt to alleviate enrolment pressure at nearby Atwell and Aspiri primary schools.
The Piara Waters school will also have an education support centre for up to 50 students.
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READ NOWEducation Minister Sue Ellery said the local area’s growth of young families coupled with high enrolment at the nearby schools made them ideal sites.
“The cohort of people that move into these suburbs are families with young children, so you build primary schools first,” she said.
“People are moving in and they need services, and schools are most frequently the first service to be built.
“Schools serve as a community hub in so many ways beyond just what they deliver in the classroom and they’re critical for when people move to these suburbs.”
Ms Ellery expected new high schools would follow later.
“It’s driven by population movement and growth, there’s a planning process that predicts new estates and that gives us an indication of the numbers we’re going to need,” she said.
“The department has a fairly sophisticated planning process in place and high schools are built in accordance with those procedures.”
Jandakot MLA Yaz Mubarakai said his electorate desperately needed the two new primary schools.
“I have advocated on behalf of Piara Waters and Treeby families for high quality, local education options, so it great to see two new schools providing local students with modern facilities within which to learn and develop,” he said.
“Having two new primary schools in these locations will allow local families the convenience of sending their kids to a nearby school and cutting down on travel time.”