Released 27/07/2020
ACT public school enrolments continue to grow, surpassing a milestone at 50,272 students, at an increase of 2.3 per cent from 2019.
The annual school census figures, collected every year in February by the Education Directorate for both government and non-government schools, show there were a total of 80,388 students enrolled across all school sectors—2.1 per cent increase on the same time last year.
The proportion of families sending their children to public schools in Canberra has increased to 62.5 per cent of all students, up from 62.4 per cent in 2019 and well up from the 61 per cent figure in 2016.
Public schools saw more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in 2020, with 2,105 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in public schools, an increase of 108 students of 5.1 per cent from 2018.
Across all 88 public schools there are approximately 6,600 classroom teachers, school leaders, principals and education support staff, including casual employees.
The ACT Government is expanding and building new schools across Canberra to keep up with this strong population growth and confidence in the public education system.
Canberra’s newest school in Molonglo is set to open its doors for the 2021 school year for preschool and primary school with the high school set to open in 2023. Construction will begin later this year for a new primary school in Throsby catering for kindergarten to year 6 which will open in 2022 and cater for 450 and up to 132 pre-schoolers. Plans are also underway for a new high school in Kenny.
The ACT Government is increasing the permanent capacity at Franklin School (previously named Franklin Early Childhood School) which now caters for students from preschool to Year 6 growing its capacity by 400 students and the Gold Creek School Senior Campus will have an additional 200 places by 2022.
The ACT Government is also investing heavily in high-quality transportable learning spaces that can be moved as needed to respond to the fluctuating demand across schools as suburb demographics change.
For more information on the February 2020 school census, visit https://www.education.act.gov.au/about-us/policies-and-publications/publications_a-z/census
- Statement ends -
Yvette Berry, MLA | Media Releases
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