Marlborough Boys' College principal Wayne Hegarty is frustrated the lack of funding from the Education Ministry for school modernisation means it can't be done at the same time as earthquake strengthening work on the school buildings.
Mr Hegarty acknowledges the costs of the two projects is very different but is worried the duplication means some of the strengthening work will be undone later to modernise the school.
The strengthening work will bring school buildings up to revised building codes for schools.
The ministry had earlier said the strengthening would be an opportunity to do the upgrades and staff had been working on a modernised design for the school such as bigger classrooms with more light and computer services.
"That was their [the ministry's] intent and the property people, just like us, want the same thing. But in the end dollars mean health and safety is the prime consideration."
The ministry has decreed health and safety upgrades for school building projects are a priority after the Christchurch earthquakes. Modernisation work will be put off until funding is available.
"To be fair, they are doing the work. The frustrating part is they will do work which may be undone [to modernise the school]," Mr Hegarty said.
"To us it's a wasted opportunity, but we have no control over it."
The first part of the strengthening work will be carried out during the summer break at one end of the concrete block of classrooms which overlook the gym. The cost is $100,000.
The work would bring that part of the school to 100 per cent of the New Zealand New Building Standards, he said.
Other parts of the college would be strengthened over future summer breaks.
The separate modernisation work had a budget of $2.4 million.
He still wanted to modernise the school, but it was not possible to do it with the existing school property budget.
The Marlborough College Foundation set up this year to raise money for the college was not for building projects, he said.
The delay in the modernisation would not affect students, Mr Hegarty said.
The buildings in the school were at or better than 34 per cent of the building code, which was the minimum required by ministry, but the ministry was aiming for school buildings to be 67 per cent of the building code.
According to the ministry website, the Canterbury earthquakes increased the focus on strengthening work after schools and parents raised concerns about the safety of school buildings.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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