Te Whare Ako — "the house of learning" — was transported to South Otago High School, in Frances St, Balclutha, early one morning last week, having been built at the Barnego Rd yard of Big River Homes in recent months.
Deputy principal and te reo Māori and tikanga teacher Gemma Tuhega said transporting the completed, 118sq m structure required a big detour to the school.
"They knew they couldn’t get it through and over the Balclutha Bridge so they went the long way round over the Clydevale Bridge.
"At one stage it was tipped to its side and they cut a branch off the tree but they got it in and lifted it right up to put it down on the piles," Mrs Tuhega said.
The project had its roots in discussions about creating a stronger sense of belonging within the school community, she said.
Its beginnings were about a couple of years ago through the work of principal Mike Wright, "who thought that the school needed a place where, first of all, our Māori students and whānau and community felt a sense of belonging".
Big River owner Mark Van Asperen said the building was constructed through the Big River Trades Academy.
The pre-apprenticeship programme involved secondary and tertiary students, alongside industry professionals, he said.
Te Whare Ako was built by about 14 academy students, mostly last year.
"For people who’ve never built anything, it’s quite a technical build and they’ve done really, really well [and] all of them got jobs and apprenticeships this year."
The academy had been running for nine years and he believed it was the only kaupapa of its type in New Zealand, integrating school institutions, polytechnics and private business.
"We’re so grateful to everybody from the school board to the tradies bringing everything together to make this possible."
An opening ceremony was planned once final site works, plumbing and electrical connections are finished, after which Te Whare Ako is expected to get even busier as the high school’s main te reo Māori classroom, hosting tikanga, kapa haka and other school activities.
