Public school demand hits record high

STUDENT numbers at Gold Coast public schools are outstripping population growth with 2000 extra students filling classrooms in 2020 – the region’s highest jump in five years.

The latest enrolment data from the Queensland Education Department reveals the total of number of students in the city’s state schools jumped to 63,234. It represents a yearon-year increase of 3.3 per cent on 2019, well above the region’s population growth of 2 per cent per annum.

Education and planning experts say young families, high-density living and improved schooling are driving the booming numbers.

Keebra Park State High School recorded the most significant jump for an established school year on year, with this year’s student population up 17.4 per cent (extra 142 students) on 2019.

It was followed by Ormeau Woods State High School (14.6 per cent) and Pacific Pines State High School (13 per cent).

A five-year comparison among established schools shows Palm Beach State School’s student numbers jumped 59.7 per cent (additional 259 students) since 2015. Speciality school Queensland Academy for Health Sciences, which noted a higher demand for its university-focused courses, has 54.5 per cent more students.

Established schools in areas where a number of new schools had been built experienced significant drops in numbers.

The student population at

Coomera State School, which opened in 1873, dropped 38.5 per cent (345 students) in five years. Picnic Creek State School and Coomera Rivers State School have opened in the area in the past decade, along with a number of private schools.

Student populations have also declined at smaller schools in the Hinterland and city’s edge.

Men of Business Academy CEO Jason Sessarago said public schools were drawing more students than ever.

“It appears as though a number of state schools have really refined their products, put programs in place to draw people into them, providing a very good option to independent schools,” said Mr Sessarago, the former CEO of Arcadia College.

“At key schools in certain areas, numbers have grown substantially while the schools in the immediate area have gone down or remained stable. You can only draw the conclusion people are trying to get their kids into the higher performing school.”

Urbis senior consultant Lynda Campbell said central Coast schools may also need to expand upwards and not outwards to keep up with the growing density.

“I know from the new apartment market a lot of development going on in areas like Palm Beach, which saw an increase in student numbers, the space now has more residents.”

Ms Campbell said it was no surprise the northern schools experienced significant jumps in student numbers.