Local MP Tim Costley and Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced $10 million to deliver new classrooms across the lower North Island, taking the total spend on new classrooms to over $1.2 billion over the past 3 years.
Today’s announcement importantly delivers six new teaching spaces to Paraparaumu College, and significant upgrade and redevelopment funding to address long-standing condition issues at both Porirua School and Mana College
“I’ve worked with the Principal at Paraparaumu college for some time, and worked constructively with the Minister and lobbied hard to secure these six new classrooms,” says Mr Costley.
“There have been issues to work through over the last year, particularly helping to tell our local story in Kāpiti. This includes taking into account out-of-zone students, which can impact the Ministry’s utilisation rates for existing classrooms, and future growth predictions. I wrote to the Minister last year explaining why I thought Paraparaumu College was a special case and deserved extra consideration.
“I’m particularly grateful to Principal Mark Robinson who has been a strong advocate for Paraparaumu College. He has invited me to the school on multiple occasions to walk me through the issues, helped me to understand what is needed, and also hosted the Education Minister at his school last year. This has all led to positive outcomes for staff and students.”
Ms Stanford said “These schools have been under pressure from growing student numbers. Delivering these classrooms will ease that pressure and support better environments for teaching and learning.”
She said today’s announcement brings the total number of new classrooms funded in the lower North Island to 153 over the past three years and nearly 1400 across New Zealand.
“As a result of this, more students will be learning in new, warm, safe, dry classrooms. The Government has been able to deliver more bang for buck by improving the way school property is planned and built.”
Paraparaumu College was promised some new classrooms by the last Government, but they were never funded and never delivered, a pattern across many schools in New Zealand. “I’m proud to have helped turn this around and delivered the funding for our local college,” says Mr Costley.