Nicola Willis, Erica Stanford pledge $90m to improve facilities of specialist schools

The Government has announced $90m of funding to help improve the facilities of specialist schools and satellite classrooms.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Education Minister Erica Stanford made the announcement this morning at Sommerville Special School in Panmure, Auckland.

Stanford told teachers and administrators at the school: “I know, despite the love for what you do, it has not been easy.”

A recent ERO report included many positive findings - but “frankly other parts of the report were grim reading”, Stanford said.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said $90m of funding would help improve the facilities of specialist schools and satellite classrooms. Photo / Finn Little

This included long waitlists and mould in classrooms. Stanford described reading about mould in classrooms in the media as “horrifying”.

Stanford said $90m of funding would help improve the facilities of specialist schools and satellite classrooms.

She said there would be 17 more satellite classrooms developed to help address issues in the sector, such as waitlists.

Three specialist schools, including Sommerville Special School where the ministers were making their announcement, would be redeveloped.

“We recognise the incredible importance you play,” Stanford said.

Today’s announcement is just the start but signalled the Government’s firm commitment to specialist schools, she said.

During her speech, Willis called education the most important gift we could give the next generation.

She said the specialist school announcement was about the “buildings in which you teach”.

“There is no room for mushrooms and mould,” she said.

New Zealand’s education system deserved safe learning environments, Willis said.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Education Minister Erica Stanford deliver a specialist schools announcement from Sommerville Special School, Panmure. Photo / Finn Little

The coalition Government has made a series of education announcements recently, including $153m to fund the return of charter schools and changes to the school lunches programme that would see it extended to some low-decile early childhood education services.

Today’s announcement also follows the release of the coalition Government’s budget which included initiatives to train and recruit 1500 teachers.