East Marden Primary School

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. What support will the government provide to the East Marden Primary School, which the minister has visited in my electorate, to alleviate its significant infrastructure needs, particularly as it struggles to deal with the doubling of the school population in recent years?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (15:01): I have been to East Marden for a visit and also caught up with the chair of the governing council and principal on other occasions in other places, and I understand their very strong advocacy for their school. There are many schools in fact that I would love to wave a magic wand and spend an enormous amount of money on, because we don't ever want anything less than complete perfection for our kids; however, we live in the practical world.

We have spent something like $2 billion since 2001 on school infrastructure and, most recently, $250 million in a project for STEM works which East Marden is a beneficiary of, so there was $1 million for them. They are also getting the money for the LED lighting. In fact, since 2009 they have had $1.6 million in additional classrooms and a significant amount of money spent on maintenance.

One of the challenges for East Marden is that it has grown quickly because it has accepted enrolments from outside its zone. In fact, at the beginning of last year, only 30 per cent of the kids there were from the zone. That is a recipe for pushing the infrastructure beyond what is appropriate. We have now introduced a capacity management plan, which means that the zone is being enforced. Of course, it takes some time because you don't throw kids out once they are there. So, it takes the time from reception through to the end of year 7 to see a change in the composition and therefore smaller numbers. That's why we have provided transportables, so that we can house the kids.

But the school's willingness to take kids from outside the zone has created significant pressure. We have now responded to that. We have provided funding to them, including the upgrade that's available through the $1 million in the STEM, and they remain on the list of schools that I am aware would like to have more money spent on them.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: They would all like to have more money, exactly.