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Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer says schools in Wairarapa are being given a guarantee of more certainty with the Government's decision to tell all schools when they will come onto the new five-year property plan.
The move is part of the Government's decision to introduce greater fairness and certainty around schools' capital works programmes.
Education Minister Trevor Mallard told Parliament yesterday that by the end of June about 530 full state schools coming on to the programme with between 400-450 schools being phased in over each of the next four years to enable a smooth, managed process.
Ms Beyer said local schools will know when they will have the option to enter the programme , instead of just knowing it will be "by 2004".
Since October last year, the Ministry has signed agreements with almost all of the sixty schools that were the first to enter the programme. Most of them have their first projects underway.
"The five year property programme has very popular with schools. They like the certainty the agreements bring, the ability to align property spending with their educational goals, and the ability to be masters of their own fortune in terms of deciding spending priorities for capital works," Ms Beyer said.
"The policy caters for both the governments need to adequately upkeep its large school property portfolio, while still recognising the value of individual schools' decision making.
"Schools in Wairarapa that have a greater need for work to be done will come on to the programme first, while those that had major developments in the past will come on stream later."
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