Across 2024, the Ministry of Education has put 100 school-building projects on hold, causing frustration among principals. Additionally, 20 schools are at risk of losing new classrooms due to project halts. Parents and principals in rapidly growing towns angrily reacted to halted plans for new schools.
The Government is looking to set up a new department for school buildings. Education Minister Erica Stanford plans to hire a new chief executive of school building. The Government is looking to find cheaper and faster ways to clear a $6 billion backlog of school infrastructure.
Government’s Push for More Efficient Solutions
“The school property portfolio is worth $30 billion, and it’s critically important it’s managed properly. This Government is taking a series of immediate actions so all Kiwi kids can learn in safe, warm and dry buildings,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
“The report found the Ministry of Education’s processes for managing the portfolio are bureaucratic and inefficient, its internal governance structures for property investments are not robust, funding decisions lack transparency, and its organisational structure does not provide the right level of focus or accountability.”
“Improving education infrastructure is an important part of laying the foundation for New Zealanders to succeed,” Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says.
“We want to reassure school communities that works and improvements currently underway at schools across the country will continue as planned while the Government develops a more efficient and sustainable solution for how we deliver school property going forward,” he says.
Opposition Criticizes Cuts and Demands Clarity
The Ministry of Education has had to find an estimated $2 billion in savings by paring back or cancelling projects due to budget blowouts. Gyms, libraries, and other critical learning spaces are being cut from development plans to manage costs.
The Labour Party says that Erica Stanford still cannot confirm when the Government will deliver the $2 billion worth of school updates that she cut earlier this year.
“Labour upgraded 98 percent of schools and delivered more than 2200 new classrooms. Cutting these projects makes no sense and will take educational outcomes backwards,” Labour’s education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.
“Everyone will remember children learning in damp, mouldy classrooms and schools with no space under the last National Government, who were comfortable with kids being taught in gyms and hallways. We don’t want to go back to that.
“Labour was already growing the use off-site manufacturing for classrooms and other government build programmes, driving the uptake of offsite manufacturing by Government agencies by a minimum of 10 percent year on year.
“We need to keep momentum on school renewals and maintenance,” she adds.
“Just saying “in future budgets” isn’t good enough. Schools deserve certainty and clarity from the Government.”
