It’s official, there will be no new schools built in the growth suburb of West Dapto in the ‘’short to medium term’’.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Gareth Ward admitted as much in a letter to Shellharbour MP Anna Watson.
‘’The upgrade of Dapto Public School will address the area’s projected enrolment growth in the short to medium term,’’ Mr Ward wrote.
‘’The [education] department will continue to monitor growth in West Dapto.’’
The Mercury understands the NSW Education Department won’t consider building a new high school until there is a possibility of 2000 students and they won’t build another primary school until there is the prospect of 1000.
The indefinite nature of the announced upgrade, and the confirmation that a new school for West Dapto is not on the horizon should ring alarm bells for local residents.
- Shellharbour MP Anna Watson
NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes asked Mr Ward to write to Ms Watson after she wrote a letter expressing her concerns about the lack of school infrastructure in West Dapto.
‘’The Minister for Education, by choosing not to respond himself has exposed his neglect for students in the Illawarra,’’ Ms Watson said.
‘’The NSW Government has conceded to the enormous demand for educational infrastructure in West Dapto, by funding an upgrade to Dapto Public School but this is just a band-aid for a bullet wound.’’
Dapto Public School will receive a multi-million dollar upgrade to its facilities. The NSW Government would not disclose how much money has been set aside for the project, which includes building new permanent classrooms.
The NSW Government has conceded to the enormous demand for educational infrastructure in West Dapto, by funding an upgrade to Dapto Public School but this is just a band-aid for a bullet wound.
- Shellharbour MP Anna Watson
But Ms Watson said the lack of a start or completion date as well as how many additional students Dapto Public School will accommodate after the upgrade, was concerning.
‘’The indefinite nature of the announced upgrade, and the confirmation that a new school for West Dapto is not on the horizon should ring alarm bells for local residents,’’ she said.
When completed, West Dapto is expected to comprise more than 19,500 new dwellings and house more than 55,000 people.