5/2/01
Thousands of children return to school this week after the summer break.
Education Minister Colin Barnett said today an estimated 365,950 students were expected to attend both Government and non-Government schools this year.
Ringing in the start of the school year at the new Carey Park Primary School near Bunbury built on the old school site at a cost of $5.8 million, the Minister said 259,800 students would be attending schools in the metropolitan area and 106,150 in the country.
About 261,700 of these students would be attending Government Schools.
“Of 261,700 Government school students, 20,900 will start school for the first time,” Mr Barnett said.
“The new early childhood program which starts today sees nearly 12,000 children starting kindergarten and 27,500 beginning pre primary.
“In addition 27,600 will start Year One, 27,380 will start Year Eight and 25,500 will start Year 11.”
Mr Barnett said about 16,100 Government and 6,000 non-Government teachers would staff 770 Government and 288 non-Government schools.
He said five new Government primary schools were opening today - Carey Park, Coolamon at Ellenbrook, Moorditj Noongar Community College at Midland, Ocean Road at Dawesville and Quinns Beach at Quinns Rock.
Schooling in the Cannington and Mandurah areas had been restructured, resulting in Sevenoaks Senior College and Mandurah Senior College, the new kindergarten to Year 10 Cannington Community College and a new high school at Halls Head - Halls Head Community College.
Shenton College was also opening replacing Hollywood and Swanbourne senior high schools.
Mr Barnett said maintenance costing $4.1 million had been done at more than 200 schools across the State during the summer break.
He said most of the work involved internal and external repair, painting, replacing floor coverings and re-sealing bitumen areas.
Media contact: Diana Callander - 9222 9699
