Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, John Barilaro, and Assistant Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell today announced the NSW Government’s Cooler Classrooms policy at Cowra High School.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The $500 million funding announcement will see 1000 school across the state provided with new air conditioning systems and the removal of gas heaters where new air conditioning is installed.
Deputy Premier Barilaro said the announcement demonstrated the state governement’s commitment to delivering first-class education facilities.
“We know this is an issue and in the region, some of our schools have no air conditioning or have unflued gas heaters,” he said.
”This is an opportunity to invest in new infrastructure and new facilities to make sure our schools are able to deliver the training and education our students deserve.
“The $500 million will go towards smart systems, making sure we put in place not just air conditioning but climate control and the investment of solar panels and battery storage.
“This commitment will improve the internal environmental quality of schools … to ensure students have healthy and comfortable learning environments,” he said.
Assistant Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said it was crucial for students to be comfortable in their learning environment.
“This investment will directly impact the success of a child’s education; it will help them perform better in exams and therefore give them a greater chance of a successful tertiary education and employment,” she said.
“We know that a lot of our students need that comfortable environment for their studies. So to be able to deliver systems throughout our schools that will heat, cool, provide fresh air and not only look at the average temperature of a school community but take into account things like humidity and the design of the school will really broaden the scope of this program.
“This historic Budget announcement will ensure that we can offer the best possible conditions for learning no matter the time of year,” she said.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke was present at the announcement and said she was excited that the electorate will benefit from the new policy.
“This is something that parents and school communities in Cootamundra and right across the state have called for, so I am proud this Government is able to deliver this fantastic program,” she said.
“There are 78 schools across my electorate and this is a wonderful announcement so we can continue to invest in the learning environments of our kids.”