NORTHERN suburbs parents will have the choice of sending their children to same-sex or co-education schools with the development of two new single-gender schools in Wanneroo by 2011.
Construction for St Ambrose College for boys and Stormanston Catholic College for girls will start next year.
Catholic Education director Ron Dullard said northern suburbs residents had never been offered the option of single-gender education.
“This is about offering parents the right to choose what education environment they want their children exposed to,” he said.
He said the colleges would be co-located on the same site in Drovers Place and offer classes from years 7 to 12.
“Joondalup is set to become a city almost as big as Perth, so this location is positioned so that both the City of Joondalup and City of Wanneroo residents will have optimum access to services.”
City of Wanneroo chief executive Daniel Simms said the proposed school would provide an important education facility for Wanneroo and Joondalup residents.
“No approvals have been granted for the proposed school,” he said.
“But the City has received an application and an amendment to the Drovers Place local structure plan is currently in the process of being advertised to modify the tourism precinct to allow for educational uses.”
He said the advertising period for public comment finished on February 17.
“The City will need to consider the suitability of the site and traffic and environmental issues.”
Mr Simms said the Catholic Education Office hoped the schools’ population would grow to a maximum of 1500 students by 2015.