Southland Schools in $62m Education Package

Four Southland schools are getting new classrooms and upgrades in a $62 million government education investment.

Fiordland College will receive two additional classrooms, while Heddon Bush School gets one new classroom. The government has also allocated funding to address long-standing issues at Southland Boys' High School and Southland Girls' High School, though details of that work have not been released.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said the investment would help ensure schools have safe, modern learning environments.

"This significant investment will deliver 59 additional classrooms across the South Island and provide funding for upgrades at other schools," Stanford said.

The package is largely aimed at supporting rapid population growth in Canterbury. Major projects there include a new 18-classroom primary school at Lincoln South, additional classrooms at Darfield School and Darfield High School, and the next expansion of Rolleston College.

Other South Island schools in Canterbury, Marlborough, Otago and the West Coast will also receive new classrooms. The package includes funding to purchase a site for a future new high school in Queenstown.

The Ministry of Education will now work with schools to progress the projects. Construction and upgrade work is expected to begin over the coming months.

The announcement comes as schools across New Zealand face pressure from growing rolls and ageing infrastructure. While Canterbury has seen significant population growth in recent years, Southland has experienced more modest increases in student numbers.

For Fiordland College, the two new classrooms will provide additional capacity for the school serving the remote Fiordland region. Heddon Bush School, a small rural school north of Invercargill, will gain much-needed extra space with its single new classroom.