Two Brisbane state schools, Hendra and Jindalee, are among the hardest hit by falling enrolments, even as the suburbs around them continue to grow.
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Hendra State School, already Brisbane’s smallest public primary, has seen its enrolments halve since 2021. Meanwhile, Jindalee State School has dropped by 20 per cent, down to 587 students.
Yet both areas have experienced modest population growth. According to AreaSearch estimates, Hendra’s population rose by 4.5 per cent since the 2021 Census, reaching around 5,178 people as of May this year. Jindalee–Mount Ommaney grew by 4.2 per cent in the same period, up to approximately 7,960 residents.
The declines at these schools mirror a broader trend across Brisbane’s public primary sector. More than half of state primary schools shrank between 2021 and 2024, with an overall drop of 1,005 students, despite the city’s population increasing by more than 9 per cent.
Education researchers and community advocates cite a mix of causes for the shift. These include changing demographics, strict catchment rules, increased take-up of home-schooling, and more families enrolling children in private schools, particularly from Year 5 onwards.
In suburbs like Jindalee, where independent schooling options are within easy reach, families may be moving away from local public schools in favour of alternatives. In Hendra, limited new housing stock and higher property prices may be reducing the number of young families with school-aged children.
While many schools are facing smaller Prep cohorts and flatter growth, some areas are experiencing the opposite. Pallara State School, in Brisbane’s south-west, grew by 48 per cent to 1,283 students over the same three-year period, with enrolments projected to reach 1,600 by 2027. Growth suburbs like Kenmore, Moorooka, Hamilton and Newmarket also saw double-digit increases.
A Department of Education spokesperson said enrolment shifts often reflect local population movements and demographic patterns, and that the department continues to plan for both high-growth and lower-demand areas.
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For Hendra and Jindalee, the question remains whether current trends will continue or stabilise in coming years, and what role schooling preferences and family movement will play.
Published 7-August-2025
