‘People are crying out for something different': Brisbane's shrinking public primary schools
English, a researcher at QUT, said families were increasingly looking for choices that better met their young person's needs rather than automatically choosing the local state school.
She said the pandemic gave parents a 'window' into their child's classroom that exposed bullying and other concerns, and also gave some professionals greater work flexibility.
'They look at the local state school, and they think, you're so constrained by overarching forces of what you can and can't do,' she said.
'They think their child is a square peg in a round hole, and they don't want their child to lose those edges.'
Green said her daughter Pixie, 11, had ADHD and autism and dreaded going to school. But home-schooling meant the 'quirky, sweet kid' who loved reading, writing and music was finally able to be herself.
'There was nothing more you want than for your child's wellbeing to be good,' she said. 'It was heartbreaking what we went through.
'There's not a lot of other options for kids who are struggling in mainstream unless you've got money to maybe go to an independent school.'
Griffith University Professor Beryl Exley said families were making conscious decisions to align education to their students' needs, considering teaching philosophies, logistics, and where their child would thrive academically and socially, with some seeking specialised subjects, inquiry-based learning, or a focus on the International Baccalaureate.
'Many parents and carers are strategically enrolling their children in recognised feeder primary schools to improve their chances of gaining admission to certain state or independent secondary schools,' she said.
Changing demographics, including housing affordability in certain catchments, also had an impact on school trends, English said.
Brisbane families are also having fewer children – there were 416 babies fewer born in 2019 compared to 2016 – but this is offset by increasing migration to the city.
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Some shrinking schools did have smaller Prep cohorts. For example, Aspley State School had 114 Prep students in 2021 and only 84 last year, as it shrunk by 6 per cent overall.
While some state schools shrunk, there were hundreds more students enrolled in private primary schools in 2024 compared with 2021. Some, such as Brigidine College, have recently introduced year 5 and 6 to their high school offerings.
Meanwhile, state schools in the affluent suburbs of Graceville and Ascot had noticeably fewer students enrolled in Year 5 last year compared to Year 4 the year before – suggesting some had left for Year 5 entry at private schools.
The biggest shrink at a state primary school was at Hendra State School – already Brisbane's smallest state primary school – where enrolments halved.
It was not just tiny schools that became smaller, with larger schools shrinking, like Jindalee (down 20 per cent to 587 students), Bulimba (down 18 per cent to 660 students), and Grand Avenue in Forest Lake (down 16 per cent to 983 students).
Enrolment management plans kept a lid on some schools, with strict rules that did not allow children living out of the local catchment area to enrol. For example, Ironside State School had 1080 students in 2021, and dropped 13 per cent to 937 last year.
Some state primary schools bucked the trend, including Pallara State School, which surged by 48 per cent to 1283 students, while Stafford Heights, Hamilton, Petrie Terrace, Moorooka, Kenmore, Newmarket and Mayfield state schools all increased by more than 20 per cent.
Among the top 20 primary schools for growth, six were over-capacity last year – Kenmore, Enoggera, Sunnybank Hills, Mackenzie, Wishart and Brisbane Central state schools.
An education department spokesman said they were committed to ensuring all students had access to a world-class education, and pointed out demand for state schools remained strong, with almost two-thirds of Queensland students attending a state school.
'Many schools are subject to fluctuations in enrolments as a result of demographic factors in the communities they serve,' he said.
'Changes in the school-aged population as well as local population movements affect individual school enrolments.'
The spokesman said the department prioritised relief for schools experiencing catchment pressures by expanding existing schools or building new ones.
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Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘People are crying out for something different': Brisbane's shrinking public primary schools
While home-education surged, the Brisbane School of Distance Education – where learning is delivered through online lessons – had one of the biggest drops, with Prep to Year 6 enrolments declining 26 per cent. English, a researcher at QUT, said families were increasingly looking for choices that better met their young person's needs rather than automatically choosing the local state school. She said the pandemic gave parents a 'window' into their child's classroom that exposed bullying and other concerns, and also gave some professionals greater work flexibility. 'They look at the local state school, and they think, you're so constrained by overarching forces of what you can and can't do,' she said. 'They think their child is a square peg in a round hole, and they don't want their child to lose those edges.' Green said her daughter Pixie, 11, had ADHD and autism and dreaded going to school. But home-schooling meant the 'quirky, sweet kid' who loved reading, writing and music was finally able to be herself. 'There was nothing more you want than for your child's wellbeing to be good,' she said. 'It was heartbreaking what we went through. 'There's not a lot of other options for kids who are struggling in mainstream unless you've got money to maybe go to an independent school.' Griffith University Professor Beryl Exley said families were making conscious decisions to align education to their students' needs, considering teaching philosophies, logistics, and where their child would thrive academically and socially, with some seeking specialised subjects, inquiry-based learning, or a focus on the International Baccalaureate. 'Many parents and carers are strategically enrolling their children in recognised feeder primary schools to improve their chances of gaining admission to certain state or independent secondary schools,' she said. Changing demographics, including housing affordability in certain catchments, also had an impact on school trends, English said. Brisbane families are also having fewer children – there were 416 babies fewer born in 2019 compared to 2016 – but this is offset by increasing migration to the city. Loading Some shrinking schools did have smaller Prep cohorts. For example, Aspley State School had 114 Prep students in 2021 and only 84 last year, as it shrunk by 6 per cent overall. While some state schools shrunk, there were hundreds more students enrolled in private primary schools in 2024 compared with 2021. Some, such as Brigidine College, have recently introduced year 5 and 6 to their high school offerings. Meanwhile, state schools in the affluent suburbs of Graceville and Ascot had noticeably fewer students enrolled in Year 5 last year compared to Year 4 the year before – suggesting some had left for Year 5 entry at private schools. The biggest shrink at a state primary school was at Hendra State School – already Brisbane's smallest state primary school – where enrolments halved. It was not just tiny schools that became smaller, with larger schools shrinking, like Jindalee (down 20 per cent to 587 students), Bulimba (down 18 per cent to 660 students), and Grand Avenue in Forest Lake (down 16 per cent to 983 students). Enrolment management plans kept a lid on some schools, with strict rules that did not allow children living out of the local catchment area to enrol. For example, Ironside State School had 1080 students in 2021, and dropped 13 per cent to 937 last year. Some state primary schools bucked the trend, including Pallara State School, which surged by 48 per cent to 1283 students, while Stafford Heights, Hamilton, Petrie Terrace, Moorooka, Kenmore, Newmarket and Mayfield state schools all increased by more than 20 per cent. Among the top 20 primary schools for growth, six were over-capacity last year – Kenmore, Enoggera, Sunnybank Hills, Mackenzie, Wishart and Brisbane Central state schools. An education department spokesman said they were committed to ensuring all students had access to a world-class education, and pointed out demand for state schools remained strong, with almost two-thirds of Queensland students attending a state school. 'Many schools are subject to fluctuations in enrolments as a result of demographic factors in the communities they serve,' he said. 'Changes in the school-aged population as well as local population movements affect individual school enrolments.' The spokesman said the department prioritised relief for schools experiencing catchment pressures by expanding existing schools or building new ones.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
‘People are crying out for something different': Brisbane's shrinking public primary schools
While home-education surged, the Brisbane School of Distance Education – where learning is delivered through online lessons – had one of the biggest drops, with Prep to Year 6 enrolments declining 26 per cent. English, a researcher at QUT, said families were increasingly looking for choices that better met their young person's needs rather than automatically choosing the local state school. She said the pandemic gave parents a 'window' into their child's classroom that exposed bullying and other concerns, and also gave some professionals greater work flexibility. 'They look at the local state school, and they think, you're so constrained by overarching forces of what you can and can't do,' she said. 'They think their child is a square peg in a round hole, and they don't want their child to lose those edges.' Green said her daughter Pixie, 11, had ADHD and autism and dreaded going to school. But home-schooling meant the 'quirky, sweet kid' who loved reading, writing and music was finally able to be herself. 'There was nothing more you want than for your child's wellbeing to be good,' she said. 'It was heartbreaking what we went through. 'There's not a lot of other options for kids who are struggling in mainstream unless you've got money to maybe go to an independent school.' Griffith University Professor Beryl Exley said families were making conscious decisions to align education to their students' needs, considering teaching philosophies, logistics, and where their child would thrive academically and socially, with some seeking specialised subjects, inquiry-based learning, or a focus on the International Baccalaureate. 'Many parents and carers are strategically enrolling their children in recognised feeder primary schools to improve their chances of gaining admission to certain state or independent secondary schools,' she said. Changing demographics, including housing affordability in certain catchments, also had an impact on school trends, English said. Brisbane families are also having fewer children – there were 416 babies fewer born in 2019 compared to 2016 – but this is offset by increasing migration to the city. Loading Some shrinking schools did have smaller Prep cohorts. For example, Aspley State School had 114 Prep students in 2021 and only 84 last year, as it shrunk by 6 per cent overall. While some state schools shrunk, there were hundreds more students enrolled in private primary schools in 2024 compared with 2021. Some, such as Brigidine College, have recently introduced year 5 and 6 to their high school offerings. Meanwhile, state schools in the affluent suburbs of Graceville and Ascot had noticeably fewer students enrolled in Year 5 last year compared to Year 4 the year before – suggesting some had left for Year 5 entry at private schools. The biggest shrink at a state primary school was at Hendra State School – already Brisbane's smallest state primary school – where enrolments halved. It was not just tiny schools that became smaller, with larger schools shrinking, like Jindalee (down 20 per cent to 587 students), Bulimba (down 18 per cent to 660 students), and Grand Avenue in Forest Lake (down 16 per cent to 983 students). Enrolment management plans kept a lid on some schools, with strict rules that did not allow children living out of the local catchment area to enrol. For example, Ironside State School had 1080 students in 2021, and dropped 13 per cent to 937 last year. Some state primary schools bucked the trend, including Pallara State School, which surged by 48 per cent to 1283 students, while Stafford Heights, Hamilton, Petrie Terrace, Moorooka, Kenmore, Newmarket and Mayfield state schools all increased by more than 20 per cent. Among the top 20 primary schools for growth, six were over-capacity last year – Kenmore, Enoggera, Sunnybank Hills, Mackenzie, Wishart and Brisbane Central state schools. An education department spokesman said they were committed to ensuring all students had access to a world-class education, and pointed out demand for state schools remained strong, with almost two-thirds of Queensland students attending a state school. 'Many schools are subject to fluctuations in enrolments as a result of demographic factors in the communities they serve,' he said. 'Changes in the school-aged population as well as local population movements affect individual school enrolments.' The spokesman said the department prioritised relief for schools experiencing catchment pressures by expanding existing schools or building new ones.
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
Never forget what happened in Hiroshima
It was a still, quiet morning with rays of sunshine filtering through dappled clouds, on the day I visited Hiroshima. November 2019, just before the onslaught of COVID-19 changed our reality. Having taught dedicated, appreciative Japanese students English as a second language in Melbourne over several years, I was elated to finally be visiting their homeland – but nothing could have prepared me for the day I spent transfixed, at the Hiroshima Memorial Park. I grew up learning about the indescribable terror inflicted on Hiroshima and Nagasaki through the atomic bombings of 1945, which ended World War II. I found it chilling to be standing on the site of such savagery inflicted on innocent civilians, which tragically, in all likelihood, could have been avoided, had Japan surrendered earlier. The magnitude of the terror rained down on this vibrant city was impossible for my mind to grasp (as it had also been a year prior, when I walked the blood-stained earth of Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland). Now, as we approach the 80th anniversary of those notorious days – August 6 when the United States detonated the atomic bomb over Hiroshima and August 9, over Nagasaki – it remains for me an impossibility to comprehend such brutality. More than 100,000 lives were lost in the blink of an eye, and another 100,000 in the devastating aftermath, from gruesome burns and injuries, or radiation poisoning. Such numbers can become just statistics: but each is a husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, young and old alike subjected to hell on Earth, as they went about their daily routine. Loading The Hiroshima Peace Memorial offers excruciatingly distressing, graphic evidence of the cruelty and annihilation of the cataclysmic event that occurred on this meticulously restored site. Foremost in my mind have remained the heart-wrenching testimonies of the few survivors still able to share their harrowing tales these decades later, as they sit on the tortured ground of Hiroshima surrounding the memorial – supported by passionate descendants and anti-nuclear activists, many of whom have made it their life's work to preach the futility of violence and war. But, as I sit and stare, motionless and aching at the never-ending coverage of the barbarism around our world today, I ask myself if humanity is actually capable of change. Could there ever be a day when the world can be at peace, in which megalomaniacs aren't able to wield such power, in which people of different religions, race and ethnicity can live side by side in harmony? Loading History teaches that such a day will likely never come, but we here who enjoy the relative calm of life, geographically distanced from the horrors across the world, must not look away. Rather, we share the responsibility to make our world a better place.
