New Classrooms for Lincoln

Canterbury pupils attending classes in school halls and libraries will be taught in proper teaching spaces after $8 million injection from the Government. 

Six Canterbury schools will get new classrooms, Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced on Monday. 

Lincoln Primary School will get nine classrooms in addition to money approved for five new classrooms. Lincoln High School will get six. 

Methven School and Amuri Area School will get two each. Carew Peel Forest School, in Ashburton, and Swannanoa School will get one each. 

The 21 additional classrooms will cost $8m.

“Selwyn is a very fast growing area,” said Kaye, which was why most of the investment was in the Greater Canterbury area.

Overall 480 classrooms will be built nationwide. Kaye signalled there could be more to come for Canterbury schools.

The cost to build each new classroom was estimated to be $300,000 to $400,000

Currently, six classrooms operate out of the school hall, as a result of a pupil influx. 

Since 2011, and the Canterbury earthquakes, the school’s role has increased dramatically.

The classroom spending is part of an $882.5m Government investment in education infrastructure announced as part of this year’s Budget.

EMILY MURPHY - The Press