There’s something very special about the Perth Mod extended family. Perth Mod was designed as an academic selection school and the original Perth Modernians are still helping, sharing their wisdom, enthusiasm, and raising funds to improve the campus. Talented Modernians donate everything from art to wine for the P&C and school. They helped built a brand new gym — a fantastic resource. And the walls of the school are peppered with plaques and trophies of former Modernians and their achievements.
The new plans will extinguish this, breaking the trust of helpers, and cutting the connection which is proving so useful. Being gifted is a blessing but also a burden. It can be a lonely path being the only kid in a school who wants to do binary code at lunch time.
For many kids, Perth Mod is the first time they’ve found a kindred spirit.
The current site links students across the generations with strangers who may have graduated 70 years ago. It is a fragile and special thing.
A high rise building in the city would be leased, erasing the history and preventing any chance of owning the space, creating an equivalent identity. Not to mention the rent will mean significant money taken out of the education budget. (There are rumours the Education Department is expecting to spend something like $13m pa on rent.)
*Edited April 7th to correct $30m to $13m pa and for clarity and tone.
Save Perth Modern School 