2020 Election: National Introduces $ 4.8 Billion Repair Fund for Nation’s Schools

National has announced a $ 4.8 billion plan to repair the nation’s classrooms and create modern learning environments for students.

During a visit to New Plymouth on Monday, National Party leader Judith Collins said that $ 2 billion of the money would be distributed under a five-year plan called the Fix New Zealand Schools Alliance, if National won the election in October.

It is part of a larger 10-year program, with a total value of $ 4.8 billion, which aims to accelerate investment in educational infrastructure and stay ahead of student roster growth.

The $ 2 billion for the “Fix NZ Schools Alliance” would be spent over five years, through 2026, while the $ 2.8 billion growth plan would be spent over ten years, through 2031.

“Many schools need to repair leaky buildings, fortify earthquakes, address mold and moisture problems, modernize and make health and safety improvements,” Collins said.

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The big announcement comes just days after the furor that followed the news that $ 11.7 million, through a combination of concessional loans and a grant, would be awarded to expand the Green School in Oakura, a private entity. which charges annual fees ranging from $ 16,000 to $ 43,000.

The decision prompted an open letter from New Plymouth’s Marfell Community School principal Kealy Warren to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who harshly criticized the decision.

Other educators in Taranaki also criticized the funding, calling it unequal.

Later, Warren sent a bill for $ 26.9 million in an attempt to get a fair investment deal for his school.

Green School’s funding comes from a pool of money for out-of-the-box initiatives as part of a $ 3 billion infrastructure investment to offset the impacts of Covid-19, rather than the education budget.

In the wake of the Green School decision, National education spokesperson Nicola Willis added to the outrage, calling it “utter hypocrisy.”

In the aftermath, it was revealed that the project was driven by Green Party co-leader James Shaw, who has since faced backlash from his own ranks, prompting an apology and a statement that he would not be returning. to make the same decision.

Announcing National’s $ 4.8 billion repair policy, after a tour of New Plymouth Children’s High School, Collins said that all children should have safe, warm and modern classrooms to learn.

The alliance would bring together builders, educators, architects and engineers to accelerate school repair work and necessary upgrades.

It would focus on streamlining remodeling work worth more than $ 100,000 over the next five years and create hundreds of jobs in the process.

Part of the plan included that contractors obtain incentives to use local subcontractors and labor as a means of stimulating local employment and business activity.

Willis said that despite previous investment from the last national government, there were “too many” schools with outdated facilities.

“Almost any school leader can tell you about much needed construction work that has been postponed due to budget constraints,” he said.

The repair and remodel work sits alongside a school growth plan, which National said would see about 60 new schools built, along with enough classrooms to accommodate 100,000 growth by 2030.

Last December, the government spent $ 396 million to improve school property, resulting in a one-time cash injection for state schools, worth $ 693 per student and capped at $ 400,000.

In its 2019 Budget, it also detailed $ 1.2 billion of capital expenditures as part of the first four-year phase of a 10-year School Property Program.