Millions to be spent on Pilbara school upgrades

A number of Pilbara schools are celebrating State Government funding for much-needed maintenance work and upgrades, with four of them getting more than $1 million each.

Baler Primary School and South Newman Primary School both have $1.8 million to spend while Millars Well Primary School in Karratha received $1.4 million and Cassia Primary School in South Hedland will be bolstered with $1.1million.

Baler Primary School principal Karen Burgess said the funding would go towards a car- park upgrade to address parking issues at the school and giving classrooms a facelift with a lick of paint and a few touch-ups here and there.

“We begun refurbishing our classrooms earlier this year and it had made a difference to the students learning environment,” she said. “I believe that if children take pride in their environment, they have ownership of the school and become further engaged in learning programs — they want to come to school.”

Ms Burgess said Baler Primary School was more of a mini-community than just a few buildings.

“Thanks to these upgrades, our school community will be able to continue to foster learning in modern facilities we can all be proud of,” she said.

South Newman Primary School plans to spend the grant on maintenance and administration upgrades while Millars Well Primary School plan to upgrade the administration area, including roof repairs and external painting. Cassia Primary School’s share will be spend on toilet refurbishments and its offices.

Education Minister Sue Ellery said the Pilbara schools would benefit from one of the largest investments in WA schools.

“This all about improving school facilities to create the best possible learning environment for students and teachers,” she said. “A range of upgrades are taking place at Pilbara schools, which make a big difference in these facilities.”

Ms Ellery said the funding boost would create thousands of jobs in trades including electricians, painters and carpenters.