A high-tech new Canterbury school, which produces all of its own power and even boasts an internal radio station, was today described by the Prime Minister as a "window into the future" of what all New Zealand schools will eventually look like.
Pegasus Bay School, 30km north of Christchurch, is the first major school project completed as part of the Government's $1.137 billion shake-up of greater Christchurch's schools after the devastating earthquakes.
With solar panels on its roof, it is the first net-zero energy school in New Zealand.
It has ultra-fast broadband, its own radio station, and large, open classrooms -- without any desks.
"It's probably vastly different from what many people will have experienced in their own education but it's the modern face of the future, and it's what will be the hallmark of Christchurch as we build 21 of these schools as a result of the rebuild of Christchurch schools," said Prime Minister John Key as he officially opened it today.