Politicians squabble over school in need of upgrade

MANDY SMITH
A war of words has broken out between two Hawke's Bay MPs who each claim credit for promised upgrades to Napier Intermediate.
Hawke's Bay Today yesterday reported on the school's need for a major rebuild.
National MP for Napier, Chris Tremain, said girls were choosing to wait until they got home to go to the toilet to avoid using the school's unsavoury toilet block, several hallways in the classroom block were lopsided because of unstable piles, and the technical block was poorly insulated.
"When buildings are 50 and 60 years old, they get to a point where they need to be replaced," he said.
Napier-based Labour list MP, Russell Fairbrother, said Mr Tremain was playing politics with the school's building predicament.
He had visited the school twice, the first time to view the state of the buildings and the second to show Education Minister Chris Carter the extent of the problems.
Mr Tremain could have highlighted the issue in the same way "but all he's done is gone and make a headline".
"This is part of a pattern of under-performance by this MP."
Mr Fairbrother said the principal and board had inherited several poorly-maintained buildings.
The school needed to accumulate a certain number of points before the Education Ministry would consider renovating its buildings. If it did any improvement work, it would be moved down the priority list.
"The board has made a decision to hold off on short-term maintenance so they don't lose their place on the priority list."
Mr Fairbrother said as renovating would likely cost over 90 per cent of the cost of rebuilding, he would be pushing for a rebuild.
"Napier Intermediate is a good school and four of my children have received their intermediate education there. I will not rest until the buildings are brought up to modern-day standards."
Mr Tremain said it had taken Mr Fairbrother six years in Government and two visits by Opposition MPs for any action to occur.
"And if four of his kids have been students at the school, then surely he would have been aware of the problems long before now and taken action earlier."