WA govt urged to dump high-rise school

Western Australia's Labor government is being urged to dump its plan to move Perth's only academically selective school to a high-rise city building, but the premier is refusing to budge.

Leader of the opposition in the upper house Peter Collier and opposition spokeswoman for education Donna Faragher on Tuesday received a petition with 6000 signatures opposing the relocation of the school.

Mr Collier said the state government did not have a mandate for Perth Modern School and the idea "smacks of arrogance".

He said no one would be disappointed if the government backed out of the plan and the opposition would even congratulate them for admitting they got it wrong.

The former education minister added it was not the issue that won Labor the March election.

"There are a host of other reasons but it most definitely wasn't Perth Modern," he told reporters.

Premier Mark McGowan denied he was being arrogant over the issue.

Under the plan, Perth Modern will be re-opened to local students.