Super Schools Not so Super for Existing Schools

Much of the long term strategy for public education appears to be bigger means better.

This is from the State Budget in 2006. All was rosy. No talk of the pain which was heading the way of the public school sector. A one size fits all strategy is not very sustainable.

Six super schools will be built across the metropolitan area as part of a new $216 million education program to be unveiled in tomorrow's state Budget.

The six schools, which will cater for students from kindergarten to Year 12, will replace existing schools, which are facing falling enrolments and increasing maintenance costs.

Premier Mike Rann and Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith announced the move today, saying two of the schools would be built in the Smithfield Plains-Playford North area, two in the Woodville Gardens-Mansfield Park area, and two in the Enfield-Gepps Cross area.

They will replace up to 17 schools such as Smithfield Plains High School, Davoren Park Kindergarten, Gepps Cross Girls High School and Regency Park Special School.

The schools will be built as public private partnership projects with the private sector building them and leasing them back to the Government.

The private sector builders would remain responsible for maintenance of the schools.

However, Mr Rann and Dr Lomax-Smith said there would be no forced school closures and there would be full consultation with the communities involved.

"Under our plan, there will be schools that decide to close, some schools will decide to combine and others will be reconfigured," Mr Rann said.

Mr Rann said this was the most significant reform agenda of the state's school infrastructure in more than 30 years.

"Plenty of other communities will take up the offer if these schools don't," Dr Lomax-Smith said.

She said the aim of the plan was to have the new super schools opened by 2011.

Also under the plan, $24.8 million will be spent to establish 10 hi-tech trade schools for the future, $23.3 million to bring to 20 the number of children's centres offering childcare, school and health services, and $45.5 million for 20 major capital works projects.

Dr Lomax-Smith said that under the capital works program, the Government would look at the feasibility of future capital works in a further 15 state schools.

The education funding cuts appear to me to be designed to put pressure on smaller schools to amalgamate and in the short term, to reduce the operating budgets of these schools, which in turn will reduce the appeal of these schools to parents, who will withdraw kids and potentially put them in private schools. This has already happened with rural schools. Now it is the turn of other schools. This not so virtuous cycle is not very appealling.

Building the Mike Rann, Dr Jane Lomax Smith, Kevin Foley Super Schools may be good in the longer term, but why do we need an immediate efficiency dividend to fund these potential white elephants?