Education Minister mute on progress for under-pressure Cowaramup Primary School as parents ark up

WA’s Education Minister has not followed through addressing Cowaramup Primary School’s urgent needs despite completion of a Statewide assessment.

Minister Tony Buti last year said a building condition audit of all State schools was needed before consideration could be given to reviewing pleas from parents and teachers about overcrowding and a lack of adequate facilities at the fast-growing school.

That audit was due by the end of last year and the outcome found Cowaramup — as well as Margaret River Senior High School — required no priority works.

That news galled the school community, with the Parents and Citizens committee last week writing a letter to the minister asking for action.

However, the community feared any fix for Cowaramup Primary School — which has more than 50 per cent of students in transportable classrooms — was set to become a political football, the same as was unfolding for MRSHS.

Those fears were seemingly confirmed by a Labor insider who previously told the Times the Labor State Government was holding its purse strings tight until campaigning ramped up closer to the March State election.

Dr Buti’s office did not respond to those claims, but said maintaining school infrastructure was “a challenge for any government and requires a concerted effort over time to progressively address”.

“There are more than 800 schools across WA, with half of those now more than 50 years old, and we are working hard to ensure these facilities are maintained and improved,” he said.

“The Department of Education is monitoring the residential growth occurring in the Augusta-Margaret River region and the impact on student enrolments and infrastructure.”

In her letter, Cowaramup P&C president Rebecca Mann said many facilities and classrooms at the school were substandard.

“Our grave concern is that without a commitment to urgently fund improved and permanent infrastructure at our school, we will get to a point where our positive school community will become a negative one,” she wrote.

“We are now at a critical crossroads as we grow and we ask that CPS’s infrastructure is prioritised and funded.”

Education Department executive director of infrastructure Rob Thomson said priority one work was immediately acted upon, whereas priorities two and three were investigated further.

“No defects were identified as priorities one, two or three for either school,” he said.

“Schools may choose to remediate other maintenance items identified in their BCA report.”

The Times previously reported a 2016 audit recommended the school’s administration building be “gutted” and extended, while the early childhood centre and other classes were still using transportables and needed dedicated arts and science facilities.