$1.2m 'learning areas' for school

Andrew Hunter
Andrew Hunter
Balmacewen Intermediate is about to undergo a $1.2 million development aimed at providing a little more breathing/learning space at the school.

Principal Andrew Hunter said the school's roll had increased by nearly 50% during the past decade - from 340 in 2006 to nearly 500 this year - and based on the school's roll and size, it had been running ''fairly close to maximum'' for many years.

So the Ministry of Education has provided $1.2 million from the school property guide fund, to build three new open plan learning areas at the school.

Mr Hunter said they would be similar in scale to the one that had been built at St Clair School and the one being built at George Street Normal School.

He said the funding meant the school could increase its footprint by an extra 480sq m.

However, the money could not be used to build new classrooms, he said.

''The rules are quite secure around what you can and can't use the funding for.

''Essentially, it gives us the ability to add to existing floor space and create breakout learning areas, independent learning areas or communal areas.

''This won't allow the school to grow [in terms of roll]. It will just provide a modern learning environment - shared and open learning areas that will be shared by different classrooms.

''It's a really exciting project.''

Mr Hunter said Balmacewen Intermediate was the only school in Otago to receive money from the ministry's fund this year.

''It's massive for the school.

''It's quite a different story for Otago schools because unless you're a new build school like some of the ones up Central Otago, this funding is quite special.''

It was hoped plans for the development would be finalised later this month.

''We're still in planning phase at the moment, but come September we'll be building,'' he believed.

-john.lewis@odt.co.nz

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