5. Schools Buildings—Temporary ClassroomsCHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Associate Minister of EducationSchools Buildings—Temporary Classrooms5. CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Associate Minister of Education: How many schools across the country are currently using libraries halls and other areas not intended for regular teaching as temporary classrooms?Hon NIKKI KAYE (Associate Minister of Education): It is not possible to give a specific figure because schools regularly change how they use space and do not update the ministry when this occurs. There are more than 30000 teaching spaces across New Zealand. What I can tell the member is that every school receives property entitlement funding based on its roll and it is then up to them as to how they choose to use that space. There are a range of reasons why some schools may be choosing to do this including taking out-of-zone students choosing not to take relocatable classrooms when redevelopment work occurs or actively using some of the spaces as curriculum spaces.Chris Hipkins: Is a caravan a suitable substitute for a real classroom; if so will this year's Budget include funding for hundreds of caravans to finally after more than 8 years get ahead of demand and address ballooning class sizes throughout the country?Hon NIKKI KAYE: The answer to the second part of the question is no. But what I can tell the member is that under this Government we have spent a third more on school property—$1.5 billion more—than the last Government. We have spent $850 million on school expansions and more than hundreds of millions of dollars on roll growth classrooms.Todd Barclay: What reports has the Minister previously received on the state of school property?Hon NIKKI KAYE: I am advised that when we came into Government the average age of New Zealand school buildings exceeded 40 years. I am also advised that the school property portfolio had a $1 billion leaky building problem. Since then we have spent a third more on school property funding. We have spent more than $850 million on new schools and expansions and hundreds of millions of dollars on new teaching spaces. This Government is proud of its record of investing in school property.Chris Hipkins: Given that detailed assessment how many schools as of today do not have enough classrooms to accommodate the students whom they currently have enrolled?Hon NIKKI KAYE: I answered that in the primary question—that we do not keep specific numbers. But what I can tell the member is that we do two things: one is we update school property funding as per school property entitlement; and secondly we add a number of roll growth classrooms either through conversations with the school or through amending their enrolment zone.Todd Barclay: What recent announcements has she made to address roll growth in Auckland and Queenstown?Hon NIKKI KAYE: Since Budget 2016 this Government has announced significant investment. In Auckland around $160 million was announced. That includes $19 million for a new primary school in Hingaia South $7.3 million to expand Ormiston Primary School $18 million for new roll growth classrooms and replacement classrooms and $17 million for new roll growth classrooms. In Queenstown $38 million was announced: $25 million for Wakatipu High School $11 million to redevelop an Arrowtown primary and $2.8 million for eight roll growth classrooms.Chris Hipkins: Is she telling New Zealanders that despite the detailed assessments of school property that her Government has completed she does not know how many classrooms short current schools are given the number of students they currently have?Hon NIKKI KAYE: No I am not telling New Zealand that. As I have already explained it is up to schools as to how they use their teaching spaces. Some schools have larger classes; they choose to teach in a different environment. Other schools use teaching spaces in different ways. We do keep figures around additional roll growth classrooms. What I can tell the member is that if he is trying to run an argument that we do not invest enough in roll growth the utilisation figures do not support that and this Government's spend does not support that. The member is just cherry-picking particular situations and he does not actually understand the bigger picture. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Mr Brownlee.Chris Hipkins: What does she say to Berhampore School principal Mark Potter whose school is about 60 students over its 240-student capacity and who has had to lose school resource rooms and the library to accommodate extra student growth?Hon NIKKI KAYE: We are always happy to look at individual situations but what I would say to the member without knowing the individual situation around Berhampore is that sometimes it is the case that schools have taken out-of-zone children. That is sometimes the situation. Sometimes we also have fluctuations in numbers. What I can tell the member is that in 2011-12 we had an overall drop of student numbers and now we are seeing a number of New Zealanders choosing not to leave because of this National Government's great plan from an economic perspective. So numbers do fluctuate and we are happy to add roll growth classrooms where it makes sense.Chris Hipkins: When she said in 2015 We're absolutely going to get ahead of demand" for additional classrooms did she mean by forcing schools to convert libraries halls gymnasiums dental clinics staffrooms and caravans for use as classrooms; if not why is that happening?Hon NIKKI KAYE: No. What I can tell the member is that back in 2008 when Labour was in Government some schools did use those spaces for teaching the curriculum. That has always happened. What I can tell the member is that we are absolutely getting ahead of growth because we spent more than $850 million on expansions and we have got tranches of roll growth classrooms happening all across New Zealand. The utilisation figures do not support the member's argument; nor does the spend that we are spending."