Impatience is growing for a new school promised for Westmead back in 2018, but the Department of Education assures parents and students that planning is progressing.
Recently, State Opposition Leader, Jodi McKay joined Shadow Minister for Education, Prue Car and Granville MP, Julia Finn in Westmead to campaign for a more efficient delivery of the school.
Westmead Public School, which has a capacity for 901 students currently has 1464 enrolled and 27 demountable classrooms on campus.
Ms Car said it was critical the new, second school was delivered in a timely manner to support the growing population in the region.
“There is a pressing need for a new primary school in Westmead,” she said.
“Families in the suburbs of Sydney deserve good schools, not empty promises from a Government that just can’t deliver.
“Our kids deserve so much better than overcrowded schools; they deserve a quality public education.”
A site for the school and a timeline for its delivery is yet to be confirmed by the Department of Education.
Ms Finn called for the Minister for Education to provide a clear project outline for the community.
“This community has been fighting for a new school for years and years,” she said.
“Half the suburb has been sent to schools in Parramatta or Wentworthville and yet the school is still more than 50 per cent over capacity.”
Ms McKay said she believes overcrowded classrooms lead to declining school performances.
“This Government is letting down families in Westmead and a generation of young people across NSW,” she said.
But a spokesperson for the Department of Education assures the planning phase is “nearing completion”.
“The business case for the new school in Westmead has recently gone through assurance reviews and will be submitted to Treasury for consideration this year,” the spokesperson said.
“Planning is progressing across the broader Westmead area and will consider all strategies to accommodate population growth for primary and secondary students, including any required upgrades or new school investment.”
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.