Jo Haylen MP, Member for Summer Hill, has called on the Minister for Education to commit to building new classrooms instead of stadiums.

More than one hundred thousand NSW students are attending classes in demountables that are more than 20 years old.

Documents released to Labor under freedom of information laws reveal that 4,182 demountables across the state are over 20 years old.

It comes as the Berejiklian Government insists on proceeding with its $2.3 billion stadium splurge as it continues its campaign to prioritise stadiums over NSW schools.

The documents reveal that there are 25 demountable classrooms across the Summer Hill electorate. Over 75% of local schools are at, or are approaching, full capacity.

Since 2010, the Government says that 2,151 of the demountables across the state have been refurbished since 2010 – leaving half of them (2,031 demountable) still in their 20+ year condition.

As well, the document shows that the Government has spent $870,000 carting demountables around the state rather than spending that money on building new schools or bricks and mortar classrooms.

Quotes attributable to Jo Haylen MP, Member for Summer Hill

“The Government is treating demountables as a permanent solution for overcrowding in our schools.

“It’s a lazy solution to a problem that’s will just going to get worse as they over-develop our suburbs.

“Our kids deserve better than tin-can classrooms.”

Quotes attributable to NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley

“This Government has the wrong priorities – spending billions on stadiums and not building new schools.

“This explosion of demountables has left kids with barely a blade of grass for kids to play on because we’ve run out of space for them to run around at recess and lunch.

“The Government is not building nearly enough new schools to cater for a growing school aged population.”

Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Education Jihad Dib

“It’s hard to believe that students are sitting in more than 4,000 demountables that are older than 20 years.

“The Government is wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars simply shifting demountables around the state rather than building classrooms – it doesn’t make sense!

“A Labor Government will prioritise schools before stadiums.”