Hon. Neil Thomson raises concerns about rundown facilities at Como Secondary College, prompting a response detailing government investment in upgrades and maintenance since 2017.

AnsweredQoN 996Legislative Council
Asked
12 September 2023
Portfolio
Education

QuestionView source ↗

COMO SECONDARY COLLEGE
996. Hon NEIL THOMSON to the minister representing the
Minister for Education:
I
note that the South Perth/Como high school community has raised concerns for
several years regarding the rundown facilities at Como Secondary
College, which has seen a third of eligible students from the area go to
alternative public schools outside the catchment area.
(1) Will the minister commit to
visiting Como Secondary College?
(2) What is this government's
commitment to pay more than lip service to that school's needs?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The Minister for Education has provided the
following answer.
(1) I visited
Como Secondary College on Thursday, 7 September 2023, accompanied by Geoff
Baker, MLA, the member for South Perth.
(2) The Cook
Labor government is delivering significant upgrades to our schools as part of
our $1.5 billion investment in public education capital works. This program of
works is the largest investment in public education capital works in our state's
history.
It builds upon our September 2019
announcement of our $200 million school maintenance blitz program. A total of
$2.079 million of this funding was spent at Como Secondary College to address
air conditioning systems, resurface playing surfaces, undertake toilet
upgrades, roof replacements, structural upgrades and other minor works, and
refresh classrooms.
All up, since 2017, the McGowan and
Cook governments have invested $4.57 million at Como Secondary College.
The member should note that the
Department of Education's asset investment program for 2023–24
is also the largest of its kind in over a decade, at $626.8 million.

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