WA’s biggest primary schools resorting to staggered lunch breaks and makeshift classes to combat overcrowding

WA’s biggest public primary schools are resorting to staggered lunch breaks and makeshift classes in libraries and staff rooms to combat overcrowding. Most new primary schools are designed for between 430 and 540 students, but recently released data shows that 19 super-sized primary schools have more than 800 students, up from 17 two years ago. Ten of those have 20 or more transportable classrooms encroaching on children’s outdoor play space. Three of the State’s biggest schools, Piara Waters, Aspiri and Riva primary schools — with 1038, 1009 and 834 students respectively — are all in the same fast-growing suburb of Piara Waters. Piara Waters PS also has the equal second-highest number of transportable classrooms in the State, along with Hammond Park PS, with 25. The school with the most transportables squeezed on to a site is Aubin Grove PS, with 27. WA Primary Principals Association president Niel Smith said high numbers of students could become “problematic” when schools lacked the resources or space to manage them. “So we find schools having to implement a range of strategies, like splitting their recess and lunch breaks on small sites,” he said. “We’ve had scenarios where schools in growing areas have had to put makeshift classrooms in libraries, wet areas and staff rooms.” Mr Smith said primary students received less funding than secondary students and that discrepancy was compounded in bigger schools. “Government primary schools do the heaviest lifting with the least amount of resources,” he said. “So primary schools of 800 are more difficult to manage in relation to infrastructure, space, safety and play.” Mr Smith said super-sized schools were found mostly in urban fringe growth areas or inner-city suburbs fuelled by increasing housing density. In the outer suburbs, pressure often eased when a new school was built nearby, but the problem was harder to resolve on inner-city sites. “The department is responsive to feedback regarding safety and school design, however limitations still exist due to budget and physical space,” he said. An Education Department spokesperson said schools decided on the best use of their facilities, including green spaces, canteens and other shared areas. “These decisions are informed by the specific needs of their students and staff and may be implemented through various strategies such as timetabling, staggered break times, duty rostering, zoning of outdoor areas to ensure safety, accessibility to equipment and facilities and suitable supervision,” they said. The spokesperson said modern transportables were a “high-quality and cost-effective way” to rapidly increase capacity at schools with changing enrolment demands. Several schools with a lot of transportables have projects under way to expand capacity that would result in their removal, including Brabham, Harrisdale and Highgate primary schools. “Since 2017, the State Government has opened 28 new schools,” the spokesperson said. “In addition, there are four schools that have either opened or are planned to open in the coming years in East Perth, Piara Waters, Wellard and Brabham, that will provide enrolment relief to a number of the existing schools on this list.”