A thank you published as an Ad in The West Australian at 17th June.

The Perth Modernian Society Inc, representing the alumni and former teachers of Perth Modern School, welcomes the announcement on 13 June 2017 by the Premier Hon Mark McGowan and Ministers Hon Sue Ellery and Hon Rita Saffi oti that Perth Modern School is to remain on its existing heritage site in Subiaco as Western Australia’s only fully selective academic government school.

We are grateful that the McGowan Government has decided not to change Perth Mod’s role and that this decision has been managed in a respectful and timely manner. It is very rare for any government to reconsider an election policy and the McGowan Government’s decision to change the Education Central policy after a preparedness to listen to the community’s concerns, is gratefully recognised and we thank them. This school has an international reputation for excellence and this decision is resonating very widely.

Perth Mod opened to students in 1911 and was to pioneer a modern education where the sciences and modern languages were to be on an equal footing with classical education. In 1912, the school introduced entrance examinations in response to the high demand for places. In 1959 Perth Mod lost its selective entry status and this was not restored until 2007. In 2017 Perth Mod’s supporters stood up to be counted, and were heard. We recognise and thank YOU for all your magnificent efforts.

The parents of the existing 1300+ Perth Mod students were concerned about maintaining continuity of quality education for their children. Alumni and others involved in preserving Perth Mod were concerned about its heritage and outstanding record for producing students who excelled in many fi elds of endeavour of national and international significance. But more broadly there was a groundswell of people who wanted to support the history and heritage of the first Government co-educational senior secondary school in Western Australia.

‘Save Perth Mod’ became a very public cause, and the Society extends its profound thanks to everyone who supported Mod in its hour of need. They wrote a never-ending stream of Letters to the Editor, and they very willingly signed our petitions – in fact over 10,000 persons did so from Port Hedland in the north to Albany in the south. This reinforces our view that Perth Modern School has earned the unique position of being held in the highest regard across Australia as a school which is merit based and provides students regardless of their family background or personal circumstances with the highest quality public school education to allow them to achieve their potential.

14,000 Modernians across Australia and around the world commend the McGowan Government for having listened to concerns about the ‘Education Central’ proposal and taken the widespread community feedback into account in developing a revised direction that leaves intact the wonderful institution that is so well recognised that it is fondly called ‘Perth Mod’ or just ‘Mod’.

The Perth Modernian Society also thanks the many Members of Parliament from all sides, and City of Subiaco Councillors, who listened to the students, their parents, the P&C Association, the Perth Modern School Board, and Modernians and the general public. We are eternally grateful to the journalists and editors of the print and electronic media who saw it as their professional responsibility to shine a light on the issues about which the Perth Mod stakeholders were so concerned.

The McGowan Government’s welcome announcement to save Perth Mod was not only an important victory for democracy, but importantly, allows Perth Mod to continue its tradition of exemplary education for high-achieving students, who come from all corners of this State to be educated in a Government school which is open to all students regardless of circumstances. It also means that the valuable support services that the Perth Modernian Society and the Sphinx Scholarship Fund provide to Perth Mod will continue stronger than ever, for the benefit of our state, our nation and the global community.

The Society records it’s thanks to the public and the State Government most sincerely. We look forward to supporting the Government in the pursuit of quality public education in WA.

May I encourage and welcome all former students and staff who are not already  registered to join the Perth Modernian Society.

Peter Farr, President
c/o Perth Modern School, 90 Roberts Rd,
Subiaco, Western Australia 6008

Enquiries: Telephone: (08) 6189 3690
E: info@perthmoderniansociety.org.au
http://www.perthmoderniansociety.org.au
E: president@perthmoderniansociety.org.au

NEWS:  Perth Modern to stay as is!

Parents of the Perth Modern School Campaign Group are extremely grateful, delighted and relieved that the McGowan government and Education Minister, the Hon Sue Ellery have listened to our concerns. It’s an excellent outcome for both the students of WA and the school community.

We trust Perth Modern School will continue to serve the people of WA for generations to come!

 

The Peaceful Public Walk!

We will be leaving from Mueller Park hopefully as close as possible to 3.30pm. We expect to arrive at Parliament House by 4 to 4.10pm at the very latest. Timing will be tight at Parliament House due to question time commencing at 4.30pm.

We also have four student speakers who will share their thoughts and represent others students for the first time on the steps of Parliament House. The student speakers are our main speakers and we do think they will be very powerful and effective, as we saw at the City of Subiaco. A big thank you in advance to the students and their families, such a proud moment.

The West Australian, AAP
Leader of the opposition in the upper house Peter Collier and opposition spokeswoman for education Donna Faragher on Tuesday received a petition with 6000 signatures opposing the relocation of the school.

Mr Collier said the state government did not have a mandate for Perth Modern School and the idea “smacks of arrogance”.

The former education minister added it was not the issue that won Labor the March election.

…the premier is refusing to budge.

Read it all at The West.

Perth Modern School Campaign Group – Press release

Rush to put Perth Modern school in Northbridge ‘not viable’

Bethany Hiatt, The West Australia, May 6th, 2017

Rushing to build a high-rise public school in the city would be an irresponsible use of taxpayers’ money on a project that may not be financially viable, a chartered professional engineer has warned the State Government.

Helen Pedersen, an engineer with more than 20 years experience and a past president of Engineers Australia WA Division, said her analysis of the Government’s preliminary plan for the multi-storey school rang alarm bells.

“The project could cost double what an equivalent school would cost, has less than a third of the open space of an equivalent school and holds very, very high commercial risk.”

Ms Pedersen, who has a daughter at Perth Modern School, said the cost to build a new school in a built-up area was around $2000 per square metre, but Education Central was likely to cost more than $4000/sqm.

“The State could build two schools for what it will spend on Education Central,” she said.

Don’t mess with best in West

It is said our state is “drowning in debt”… we have overcrowded prisons. Police, teachers and nurses should be paid better… Shouldn’t the government give priority to these, and other pressing needs, over spending millions on a project which is so strongly opposed and risks ruining such a successful school? — Malcolm McCuskers full Opinion piece here. 

There is an article about that: Bethany Hiatt, The West Australian Saturday 29th April

“Former WA governor and respected lawyer Malcolm McCusker has accused the new State Government of risking students’ health and safety with its plan to transfer the State’s brightest pupils from Perth Modern School to a high-rise school in the city.

Mr McCusker, who graduated from Perth Modern in 1955, has broken his silence on Labor’s plan to convert the academically selective public school to a regular high school and establish a new selective school on the top floors of a multi-storey building by 2020.

Education Minister Sue Ellery said the new school would have outdoor spaces, an auditorium and modern science facilities and would continue to produce outstanding results. “While I can appreciate Mr McCusker’s right to express his opposition to a decision to relocate a school, I do find it offensive that he or anyone would suggest that this Government would put students’ health or safety at risk,” she said.

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REPLY from a concerned parent: The Minister for Education appears to be unaware of the extensive medical research that shows too many hours indoors and in built up environments is associated with eye damage, sleep and circadian rhythm disorders, mood, motivation, anxiety and depression. Children need sunlight and natural green space, not a rooftop in the city. See the Health tag. We are just getting started.

The new government in Western Australia wants to close Perth Modern School as we know it and move children aged 10 – 18 to the top of a high rise building. In theory it will be 16 to 25 stories tall, without outdoor space apart from the roof.

The policy appeared without warning or consultation six weeks before the state election.

The Education Central  PDF

Unlike other public schools in Australia, there will be no ground access, no ovals, no green space and little prospect of trees. The building will be shared with other organizations, hundreds of thousands of visitors, and will not be owned by the Education Department, but built by a private developer and leased. Access for 1,500 students will be through lifts.

The proposed site is between the CBD and Northbridge, over the Perth underground Bus Port. It is one of the busiest sites in Perth.  Northbridge has high crime statistics and drugs.

The state government is $33 billion in debt (p19); this ambitious project is untested, yet is planned to be built in 2 years and 7 months for use by Jan 2020.

Parents and the broader school community are opposed

The P&C are overwhelming against this move. They remain worried about the effect on physical and mental health, the loss of school history, heritage, and a strong community which donated generously to support low income students and provide buildings.

Students without access to green spaces and natural daylight or outdoor areas are at increased risk of permanent eye damage, vitamin deficiencies,  mood changes and behavioural difficulties. “Green exercise” even changes heart rate patterns 12 hours later.

Perth Modern School serves all West Australians.

Perth Mod parents just want the same thing every parent wants, access to eduction that is appropriate to their childrens needs with recreation facilities similar to most schools.

They are grateful for the current school.

What you can do

Join the Facebook Page.

Sign the petition: Academic Excellence stays at Perth Modern – say ‘NO’ to a high-rise school.

Get in touch with us. Contact your parent social coordinator through email, use the contact page here, or leave a comment here or at the facebook page.

Write letters to your elected representatives.

To make it easier we’ve assembled a Guide for writing letters. 

See the Key-points you may want to discuss.

Please CC us: contact@save-perthmodernschool.com

The year 8s at Perth Modern School come from Mandurah to Yanchep, and as far east as Mount Helena and Gidgegannup. There are also two students from homes near Bridgetown and Denmark in country WA. (Boarding facilities exist in City Beach for country students).

Perth Modern School serves all of Perth.

Let’s keep the opportunity open to all students in Western Australia.

Click here and open the map in another window to see a larger area.

There are baseless claims that Perth Mod is full of “rich kids”. These accusations are not connected to reality.  One parent created a google map of the year 7 address list. The map says it all, except it doesn’t show at least five children who come from even further away.

Thanks to HP. Open this link in a new tab to enlarge.

The map does not contain all homes, for privacy reasons some addresses are unknown. Continue reading “Perth Mod Year 7 students come from all over Perth” →

A summary of the situation for media, friends, and letters to editors

New plan to put children in skyscrapers

Five weeks ago, without any consultation, the Labor Opposition in WA suddenly announced “Education Central“. They would be moving students at Perth Modern school to a 16 – 25 storey skyscraper in 2020 whether they wanted it or not.

In the plan, children as young as 11 will be in an office tower sandwiched between the CBD and the late-night pubs and drugs district of Perth. The site is next to the central railway station, in the most congested real estate in a radius of 2,500km. The school will have no oval and no trees, unless they get one to grow on the roof. This will be the only public school in Australia where no child will ever be able to kick an AFL football, though they will be closer to prostitutes. 😉

Sue Ellery, the Shadow Minister for Education, promises green space on every floor and on the roof. Since five-star hotels in Perth cannot afford to do that, parents wonder how the Department of Education can. (A pot plant in every corner?)

There is a genuine need for another school in Perth, and a demographic squeeze is coming. But this experimental multiuse complex (with Scitech at the base) needs to be finished in just 2 years 8 months. Let’s call it the Tower of Babylon, but the joke is not so funny. Perth needs a school in the western suburbs but they are all safe Liberal seats on 20% margins. Instead of reopening a school to the west, Labor thinks it will give the high-reputation Perth Modern school site to the local inner city catchment which is a long way from the beachside area, but is close to voters in the seat of Perth. (A seat held by the Liberals on a 2.8% margin). Labor claim that’s where the growth is. But Education Department enrollment figures for 2016 show that the high schools in the western suburbs grew around ten times faster than the school closest to the inner north.
Continue reading “Spread the word: A cutting summary” →