12. RAHUI KATENE (Māori Party—Te Tai Tonga) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What progress has been achieved in honouring the commitments that the Ministry of Education made to Aorangi School in 2006 to replace the rotting buildings so that children are no longer forced to learn in cramped, damp, and cold buildings?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
I am advised by the ministry that it is meeting the costs of health and safety issues as and when they arise. With regard to the review of the school’s overall capital programme, this review will be concluded shortly. I have arranged to go down and speak to the school’s board and principal in 2 weeks’ time.
Why have students at Aorangi School had to continue learning in dilapidated and relocatable classrooms riddled with rot and moisture and with no insulation, even though the previous Minister of Education announced in June 2007 that Aorangi School would be rebuilt as a “21st century learning environment”, and the Prime Minister made a commitment before last year’s election that he would not let pupils “freeze at my old school”?
I want to ensure that the children at Aorangi School are in a suitable learning environment. That is why I decided to review the school’s request for additional capital and why I will go down and speak to the school’s board and principal in 2 weeks’ time to discuss it with them. I assure that member that I am advised that at least $270,000 has been spent on health and safety issues, including an electrical upgrade, the installation of heat pumps and dehumidifiers, and ongoing monitoring of air quality.