23 November 2000 Media Statement

New property guide proposal for secondary schools

The Government wants to update how the property needs for secondary schools are determined.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard told Parliament today that the Government is considering a new secondary property guide and is seeking sector input prior to its final acceptance.

"The Government is already committing large amounts of money to school property. It is therefore also appropriate to look carefully at how this is used to best enhance the modern education system.

"The current property code was developed some 30 years ago and is clearly inadequate in some areas – especially given the huge advances in areas like information communication technology. The new proposals allow extra space in classrooms for computers.

"Teacher work spaces, now seen as essential in practical terms, are not even considered in the current property guide. We also want to allow teaching spaces to cater for smaller groups or individual learning, and the increased amount of internal assessment that is part of a modern secondary school.

"The proposal that we are putting to the sector would result in about a $169 million going into schools over a period yet to be determined.

"The Ministry will be contacting sector groups seeking their input and will endeavour to meet with interested people to discuss the proposed new property guide.

"In addition, the report proposing the new property guide will be made public by placing it on the Ministry’s web site," Trevor Mallard said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media