Leederville school site to be distance education centre

30/11/93

Education Minister Norman Moore today announced that the Leederville Primary School site is to become a distance education centre to cater for the schooling needs of more than 2,500 students living in remote and isolated parts of the State.

Mr Moore said Leederville Primary School would close at the end of the school year and, along with the Ministry's media production unit, would undergo renovations over the Christmas holidays.

He said it would re-open next year as the new site for the distance education centre, which is currently located in West Perth.

"Leederville Primary School will continue to play an important role as an education facility," Mr Moore said.

"The use of the school is a unique opportunity to restructure the total sphere of the State's distance education operations that delivers a higher quality service to isolated students."

Mr Moore said the Leederville Primary School site would also provide sufficient classroom accommodation for the K-10 Distant Education School for remote area children when visiting Perth.

"The site will also accommodate about 180 staff who currently face an extreme shortage of space, old style accommodation and poor lighting and ventilation," he said.

Mr Moore said the new distance education centre would form part of a future educational precinct involving the Leederville TAFE, the TAFE External Studies College and the Leederville Centre.

"The creation of this educational precinct will provide greater access to a wider range or programs and courses than could normally be offered by the distance education centre alone," he said.

Mr Moore said the new distance education centre would have access to highly valuable media production facilities such as video conferencing.

He said the 54 students who were enrolled at Leederville for next year would be relocated to nearby Mt Hawthorn, West Leederville and North Perth primary schools.

"For a number of years student numbers at Leederville have been steadily declining to the point where there are now only enough students to fill two of the school's seven classrooms," Mr Moore said.

"Because of the small number of students, the cost per student at Leederville is almost twice as expensive as neighbouring West Leederville Primary School.

"Even if student numbers were to double over the next ten years, which is highly unlikely, then there would still be an unacceptably high level of student costs and vacant classrooms."

Mr Moore said the decision to close Leederville was taken after consultation with parents and Ministry staff.

"The Ministry has conducted a survey of vacancy rates and held talks with nearby school principals over the impact of the move.

"There is enough under-utilised capacity at these nearby schools to absorb the Leederville students without any disadvantage to them or other students.

Mr Moore said his decision to relocate the distance education centre at Leederville was based on an Education Ministry recommendation and was in line with current guidelines for school rationalisation.

Media contact: Paul Plowman 222 9595 : 221 1377