Photo: Wellington Girls College
Wellington Girls College, one of capital's largest inner city schools, is closed today and tomorrow as it figures out options after learning one of its only remaining teaching blocks is earthquake prone.
The Ministry of Education has known about this potential issue since 2020 but had not advised told the school or the Council.
Once the school discovered the risk, it sought an independent Detailed Sesmic Assessment which found that one part of the block was just 15 per cent of the National Building Standard.
The Ministry says it's safe to use until strengthening can begin in October, but the school board says it's not willing to take that risk.
Most of the other remaining teaching blocks at Wellington Girls' College, which has over 1300 students, are earthquake prone and not in use - and the entire field is covered with pre-fab classrooms.
The Education Ministry abruptly evacuated staff from its own headquarters in Wellington in 2022 when it was found to be earthquake prone.
Sam Fowler, the Ministry's Head of Property joins Paddy Gower, along with Wellington Girls' College Principal Julia Davidson.
