Hon Hekia Parata

Minister of Education
Hon Nikki Kaye

Associate Minister of Education

8 June 2016

Media Statement

Extra classrooms for Motueka High School

$1 million will be invested under Budget 2016 to expand capacity at Motueka High School, say Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

Minister Kaye made the announcement this morning during a visit to Motueka High School.

“This investment will enable three new classrooms to be built at the school,” says Ms Parata.

“Motueka High School is a crucial school for the local education network, but population growth in the area has had a flow-on effect on the school’s roll.

“The extra capacity provided by this investment will help the school manage this growth, and will be welcomed by the local community.”

Ms Kaye says today’s announcement is one of a number of school infrastructure investments that have been announced as part of this year’s Budget.

“A core focus of the Budget is addressing the roll growth that many schools around New Zealand, such as Motueka High School, are experiencing,” says Ms Kaye.

“Motueka High School has a roll of nearly 700 students after a significant intake last year, and these new classrooms will enable more students in the area to have access to a school that boasts a proud record of achievements in academic, cultural, sporting, outdoor education and leadership areas.

“The school is at the heart of the local community, and this investment signals a strong commitment to families in the Motueka area.”

Since the Budget was delivered, around half a billion dollars of investments have already been announced in new schools and classrooms in Wellington, Canterbury, Auckland, Northland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Hawkes Bay and now Motueka.

“We’re committed to building new schools and classrooms to meet demand, and ensuring that students can learn in facilities which enable them to achieve to the best of their potential,” says Ms Kaye.

As with all new classrooms, the focus at Motueka High will be on providing flexible learning spaces which support an innovative learning environment.

“The new classrooms will support different ways of teaching and learning, and will have high standards of acoustics, lighting and ventilation. They will also feature the latest IT infrastructure to support digital learning,” says Ms Kaye.”

ENDS

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