Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Education Minister Rob Stokes have opened a brand new school in Sydney’s inner west, as the NSW Government continues to ramp up work on its record school infrastructure program.
Ms Berejiklian welcomed the 294 new students starting at Wentworth Point Public School on the first day of term 1.
“It was so pleasing to open a brand new school in a growing and thriving part of Sydney,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Making sure children have access to the best schools and a quality education is a major priority for me and introducing students at Wentworth Point to their new school was a great honour.”
In the biggest single investment in the State’s history, the NSW Government is investing $4.2 billion on major school building projects over the next four years. This will fund 120 new and upgraded schools, creating 32,000 more student places, or 1500 new classrooms.
Mr Stokes said investing heavily in education pays dividends across the entire economy. “Investment in education is the only way to safeguard the future prosperity of NSW,” Mr Stokes said.
“These building projects will enrich every industry, sector, and community not just in the short term, but for decades to come.”
Minister Stokes said the $22.4 million Wentworth Point Public School includes 18 mainstream classrooms and four special education classrooms, a library, hall, canteen, covered outdoor learning area and plenty of space to grow to meet future population needs.
“This is a special day for these pioneers of Wentworth Point. I encourage both staff and students to use the facilities to their advantage, as they prosper through the school year,” Mr Stokes said.
Mr Stokes also used the opportunity to welcome back to school more than 800,000 public school students across the State, saying it is his sincere hope that they pursue their passions this year and continue their desire for discovery.
“It is not just results that make an excellent student, but the questions you ask. May you all have a safe, successful, and happy first few days back as you move forward into a new year at your brand new school.”
BACK TO SCHOOL: BY THE NUMBERS
- Approximately 500,000 primary school students are enrolled in NSW public schools.
- Approximately 310,000 high school students are enrolled in NSW public schools.
- At 810,000 students, this is the largest cohort in 40 years.
- More than 85,000 dedicated teachers will educate, guide and mentor the students across more than 2,200 schools, making the NSW Department of Education one of the largest employers in the country.
- The Government has committed a record $4.2 billion to building 120 major school projects over four years, the single biggest school infrastructure investment in the State’s history.
- The NSW Government is investing $747 million over four years to address priority maintenance in schools, with almost $200 million in works wiped off the maintenance list during the past 12 months.
- Hired an additional 4586 teachers since 2011.