Investment In Education Gives Schools New Classrooms

Prime Minister Jenny Shipley today officially opened another new classroom in Wellington today.

The Roseneath School classroom is one of 2,300 new classrooms that the National-led Government has provided nationwide over the past four years. In addition to the new classroom the school has also gained more teaching facilities.

"It is very pleasing to see the concrete results of money allocated in a past Budget turning a plan into a reality for small schools like Roseneath.

"The 2,300 new classrooms over the past four years are reinforced by the December 1998 statistics for school building consents, which were the highest ever in New Zealand.

"Our continuing investment in deferred maintenance, new classrooms and new buildings to keep pace with expanding school rolls, is just the beginning.

"Later this month, the Treasurer will announce in the Budget a massive new investment in education," Mrs Shipley said.

"And it is not just schools' bricks and mortar we will be addressing but standards, accountability and access for all New Zealand children.

"Education opens doors to the future and the Budget will show some truly exciting paths that we will be creating to boost the prospects for the next generation.

"Roseneath School's way of gaining new classrooms is an example of how central funded schools can work together with Government on a bulk funding arrangement to provide their students with a better learning environment," said Mrs Shipley.

Roseneath school previously had three open plan classrooms for 120 pupils aged from new entrants through to form two. The school's rising roll entitled it to an additional classroom, so the school saw an opportunity at the same time to contribute to the investment to rearrange the remaining rooms to create even more space.

The Ministry of Education bulk funded the cost of the expansion last year providing $259,000, along with the school board's $17,000.

"The result is impressive for both teachers and pupils. The school now has five teaching spaces for up to 130 students, which can only benefit its pupils by providing a better environment for learning," Mrs Shipley said.