Sprinklers 'would sap teaching funds'

Only 6 per cent of schools have partial or full sprinkler systems, but installing one in every school would cost $500 million and sap funds from the main focus of teaching, Education Minister Anne Tolley says.

Her comments follow two arson attacks at the weekend that have devastated Kerikeri High School and Mangere East Primary School.

The Fire Service said the damage would have been greatly reduced if the schools had sprinkler systems, but the schools have said they cannot afford them.

Mrs Tolley said it would be ideal to have sprinklers in every school, but it would take teaching resources out of the classroom.

"The cost of retro-fitting all the schools in the country would be enormous - and that would have to come out of an education budget.

"As a parent I would not be happy if my school was using money that should be going to the education of my children for sprinklers. I send my kids to school to get educated, not to have a shower."

Only 124 schools - or 6 per cent of all schools - have partial or full sprinkler coverage.

Ministry figures show the average cost of retro-fitting an existing school is about $250,000, and would normally include water pipes through the roof to a dedicated water supply.

The estimated cost for retro-fitting all schools is $500 million, much larger than the estimated $3 million a year in school property damages caused by fires.

The ministry requires all new schools and new buildings over 1000sq m to have sprinkler systems. It can provide funding for systems for building extensions, but schools wanting to retro-fit sprinklers have to do so from existing budgets.

An attack on Sunday morning destroyed a science block at Kerikeri High School and fires at Mangere East Primary on Monday razed seven teaching spaces, closing the school until Monday.

Peter Sykes, a member of the Board of Trustees for Mangere East, said it was unacceptable that schools were vulnerable, but the decile one school had barely enough money to fund teaching programmes.

"We could have a really nice, safe building with no teaching," he said.

"Resourcing is a political thing and it's the politicians that make the choice. As the treasurer, I don't wear the blame. I do the best I can with limited resources."

Kerikeri High principal Elizabeth Forgie said schools were on tight budgets and could not afford sprinkler systems, and Mrs Tolley sympathised.

"This is a hugely disturbing effect on the staff, on the pupils, on the whole school community. Arson is a terrible crime."

The ministry will review its Fire Safety and Design Requirements policy as part of a planned review this year.

BIG COST

*$500 million - estimated cost to retro-fit sprinklers in every school.
*$3 million - estimated annual cost of fire damage to schools a year.
*Only 6 per cent of schools have partial or full sprinkler coverage.

SPRINKLERS ARE REQUIRED

*In all new schools.
*In new buildings over 1000sq m.
*In buildings extended to over 1000sq m.
*In special needs schools or units being built or substantially altered.