Hon Chris Hipkins

Minister of Education

26 February 2019

MEDIA STATEMENT

Leaky buildings at Botany Downs Secondary College will be repaired, with a Government investment of $20 million, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.

Chris Hipkins made the announcement at the College this afternoon. The money will pay to fix weathertightness problems across the school campus.

“Students learn best in in high-quality classrooms. This investment will ensure students of Botany Downs can study in warm, dry teaching spaces, as they fully deserve to,” Chris Hipkins said.

The project will repair weathertighness issues, undertaking re-roofing and cladding work on buildings that contain 70 of the 84 teaching spaces at the decile 9 school of over 1800 students, Chris Hipkins said.

Temporary teaching spaces will be provided to ensure student learning is not disruendspted during the project. Planning for the project is already underway and work will be staged over several years to minimise disruption to the school.

“Today’s announcement is the first of a series of investments this Government is making this year in our schools.

“As well as investing in new schools for a growing student population, we know that many existing buildings not affected by weathertightness at schools around the country have been neglected or barely patched up in recent years. That is not fair on the students or teachers and needs to change.”

Further announcements will be made about investments in school property in the coming weeks.

© Scoop Media