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Schools need funding: MLA

Lucy JarvisNorth Coast Times

People whose children attend Yanchep District High School (YDHS) told the Times the school desperately needed an upgrade and they wanted a high school built.

Colin Nelson, who has a daughter at the school and two more children attending next year, said the school facilities were "poor" compared to other schools.

"The funding is so badly needed," he said.

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"Going to the school every day is just a disappointment. It's like Yanchep has been forgotten.

"The classrooms are in such a poor state " the teachers can only do so much."

Mr Nelson said he had lived opposite vacant land with a sign advertising a future high school for six years, but there were no plans to build it yet.

He said when his children (aged 7, 6 and 2) reached high school they would need to travel to Mindarie or Butler, but schools there were already full.

Brad Walker, whose son is in kindergarten and daughter will start school next year, said they had no choice of schools because of their catchment area.

"We just want to make sure our kids, as they get older, have got the facilities to nurture their skills," he said.

"The capacity is not going to be there in the future with the amount of houses that are being built in the area. YDHS is just run down and needs upgrade badly. The new high school needs to get legs and get underway."

Butler MLA John Quigley visited the school on April 21 and said the State Government should include in the forthcoming State Budget $10 million to upgrade YDHS and $70 million to build a high school on land it owns in Jindowie estate.

"Im calling on them in this budget to announce that they will be building a new high school in Yanchep and upgrading the primary school," he said.

"It's the worst facility of any district high in WA. A generation of children are going to miss out on a proper education."

Education Minister Peter Collier said he was aware of the rapid growth in the northern corridor.

He remained committed to providing facilities in the area, having built Yanchep Beach Primary School, John Butler Primary College and two Alkimos schools due to open in 2016 and 2017.

"Options for the expansion of secondary schooling in Yanchep, in line with the forecasts in population growth in the northern suburbs, are being developed for consideration as part of future planning processes," he said.

Parents also said they were concerned that developers advertised future schools that were not yet funded or confirmed; one said no more lots should be sold.

Mr Quigley said he and parents had written to Mr Collier asking him to visit the school, but they hadn't received a response from the minister.