The immigration-driven population boom in Sydney – which has added nearly one million people to Sydney’s population over the past 13 years and is projected to increase Sydney’s population by 87,000 people a year over the next 20 years – is the gift that keeps on giving.
Last week, 9News reported that public education was at “breaking point” from chronic overcrowding in Sydney’s schools:
Sydney’s public education system is at crisis point, with new figures revealing hundreds of schools are full or overflowing with kids.
NSW Education enrolment data for 2018, released to 9 News under freedom of information laws, reveals 636 schools in NSW have between 100 percent to 150 per cent of student places filled.
That’s the equivalent to almost a third (31 percent) of all public schools in NSW – or an even greater proportion of those in Greater Sydney.
Despite school ovals, carparks and play areas being filled with demountables and temporary classrooms set up in halls, libraries and gymnasiums, there are more kids than official places in many suburbs of Sydney…
Schools across Sydney’s west, east, north and south dominate the list of the most densely-packed classrooms…
Inner-city suburbs fare no better, with Bourke Street and Crown Street primary schools in Surry Hills at 136 percent and 117 percent respectively.
This crush-loading follows a report in February that NSW has actually lost 18 public schools over the past five years at the same time as school enrollments surged by 70,000!
But don’t worry, the NSW Government has the situation well in hand, announcing an “unprecedented” $6 billion investment for new schools, classrooms and upgrading existing buildings. From The SMH:
The state government will spend $6 billion over the next four years building schools and upgrading existing ones, creating an extra 2000 classrooms for almost 44,000 more students.
…the government says next Tuesday’s state budget will deliver funding for 170 new or upgraded schools [by 2031], with planning for 20 to start this year…
Work will also start on 40 new and upgraded school projects that have already been announced, while there are 110 ongoing “major school infrastructure” projects underway…
The Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said next week’s budget would represent the largest investment in schools by any state government in history.
“We are in the midst of a school building program NSW has never before experienced
and this year’s budget takes this to a whole new level,” Ms Berejiklian said…
Sadly, this “unprecedented” investment is fiddling while the public school system burns.
In 2016, the Grattan Institute estimated that NSW would require 213 new schools by 2026 to cope with a projected 175,000 (14%) surge in students:
As you can see, the NSW Government’s funding “for 170 new or upgraded schools” by 2031 is a fraction of what will be required, especially given NSW Education’s own enrolment data for 2018 shows that “636 schools in NSW have between 100 percent to 150 per cent of student places filled”.
All of this, yet again, highlights Australia’s dysfunctional population ponzi in action.
The federal government’s mass immigration ‘Big Australia’ policy has committed to a turbo-charged migrant intake ad infinitum:
With Sydney projected to cop much of the migrant intake:
These extra migrants will need basic services like schooling, not to mention additional economic infrastructure and housing.
Let’s also not forget that the Turnbull Government has relaxed visa rules to allow 6 year-old foreign students and their guardians visa entry into Australia’s primary schools, thus adding to the crush-loading.
Former NSW Treasury boss, Percy Allen, had the right idea when he noted the following last April:
The Australian government is fiscally broke. It’s running a huge budget deficit that is adding to its interest bill…
To alleviate demand pressure on social services, education and health the government should halve the permanent immigration intake.
To avoid any racist overtones the humanitarian component should be expanded. Significantly slowing Australia’s population growth would also reduce pressure on house prices, city congestion and stagnant wages.
Exactly. The NSW Government should tap the federal government on the shoulder and demand that it lower the immigration intake, in turn relieving pressure on public services, infrastructure and housing.
Why not seek to remove the demand pressures causing the overcrowding in the first place? It’s a no-brainer.
