All the classrooms at Clayton Park primary school in Manurewa have been leaking since 1978, it has leaky, mouldy and asbestos ridden buildings that are unfit for habitation. Nearly 500 children have to tolerate these conditions day in, day out. The children get sick, and the staff get sick. In ten years of fighting they have not had one single improvement, not one replacement classroom.
The Government has announced it will spend more than $14 million rebuilding a Manurewa primary school riddled with toxic mould and asbestos.
Clayton Park School closed four classrooms because of mould last year, and said at the time that others were damp and leaky, with fungi growing in ceilings andwalls.
Today, associate education minister Nikki Kaye announced "around $14.5 million" had been approved for the decile-two primary school's redevelopment.
"This announcement is the result of several years of work and completes an important phase in what is one of our most complex school redevelopments," Ms Kaye said.
"The school has experienced issues with aged and leaky buildings and asbestos.
"I am pleased that the redevelopment will see most of the school's existing buildings replaced. This solution will add 19 permanent teaching spaces but retain the recently built hall and administration areas," she said.
In June last year, when the Herald visited the school, principal Paul Wright pulled down a water-stained ceiling tile above a teacher's desk in the new entrant room to show thick black growth.
"Our children get sick. Our staff get sick. We have an ongoing problem with respiratory illness," Mr Wright said.
