KATIE ATTWELL is a lecturer with the Sir Walter Murdoch School of Public Policy and International Affairs at Murdoch University, and a mother-of-two. She lives in Coolbellup. Co-author FRANK MOFFLIN is a proud Hilton resident and father-of-two. In this week’s THINKING ALLOWED they propose a community-based approach to long-term school issues that have plagued the area for years. 

LIKE many local parents, we have eagerly awaited the outcome of the state government’s consultation and decision-making about the future of high schooling in the Fremantle/Cockburn area.

Even though this consultation was imperfect, the community now has an opportunity to contribute to a new school, which will benefit everyone, not just those enrolled.

We have experienced first-hand the kinds of problems that have plagued Hamilton and South Fremantle senior high schools, and we believe the community must not squander the opportunity that Fremantle College will present from 2018.

Through no fault of the great educators working there, the underutilisation of these two local schools has driven them, student-by-student, closer to irrelevance.

Self-interest

The tragedy of the commons is a well-known economic theory whereby the acts of individuals, pursuing rational self-interest, ultimately destroy a resource they hold in common. The destruction of this resource is not in anyone’s interests, and actors may be able to see this but the compulsion towards self-interest remains.

The tragedy of the commons can aptly describe what has happened to high schooling in the Fremantle/Cockburn area. Successive government policies and community apathy have driven parents either to seek education for their children in the private sector, or to flock to “elite” public schools.

Parents have regarded the good local school as a lesser option, and by enrolling their children elsewhere have believed they are doing the right thing by their kids. This has depleted and denigrated the schools, creating a cycle that has weakened the local community. This is not in anyone’s long-term interest.

A newly branded school with a larger geographical catchment and full spectrum of educational offerings provides us with a circuit breaker to stop, think, and regroup. A new beginning offers us the chance to revitalise local education and construct it as the public good that parents have been leaving the area to attain. However, there is nothing in and of itself that will make Fremantle College successful.

The first criteria for success is the government delivering on its promise: the school must be appropriately resourced, both physically and intellectually. The funding from the sale of the Hamilton Hill site must flow to the new school, and we must hold the government accountable for this happening.

But what comes next is something no government can fix, because it has to come from the community: a school cannot be successful if it doesn’t have the students. For this, we must hold each other to account.

As we have worked to build community around our local primary schools in Coolbellup and Hilton, we have developed an awareness of the importance of people taking ownership and responsibility for their own public good. While both primary schools had suffered from “reputational damage” in the past associated—very much associated—with the suburbs themselves, this is something that local communities can fix. When local families invest in local schools, the benefits are many: a sense of connectedness, neighbourhood friends, sustainable communities, and support provided to the school and local families who may need it more. A more harmonious community.

This is not just some bleeding-heart, feel-good vibe. Having a thriving local school makes economic sense, both on a personal and government level. It means fewer resources are subsidising private education, and the community connectedness developed around the school will, over time, reduce the costs of social service in the community.

Cultural change

The premise for creating Cooby Now, co-founded by one of the authors of this article, was that a cultural change and a new sense of belonging around the school would attract local parents who might otherwise have felt this was not an option.

Communities and practices can change when people are provided with inspiration, impetus and leadership. These are not things governments can give us—we have to take them upon ourselves because we believe in things like free, open and inclusive education for all children, and the benefits this provides to the broader community.

In this instance, we have the option to continue down the tragic path or enrol, embrace and enliven the local high school to make ours a success of the commons. When they build it, we must come.