We urge you to join our petition and stand with us in advocating for a fully functional senior campus for Rolleston College. The Ministry of Education has chosen to strip back, redesign, and delay the new campus for Rolleston College, despite groundwork having already started and some design and construction plans approved. The proposed changes to the senior campus are substantial, inappropriate and deeply concerning.

The Ministry of Education’s new proposal

Instead of classrooms, the Ministry has proposed to use makeshift second hand Portacom buildings as learning spaces with no purpose-built fit-outs. 

While the science and technology block in stage one will undergo minimal alterations, the gymnasium's redesign eliminates all classroom spaces, hauora services for nurses and counsellors, and leaves staff without essential facilities. Other changes include single courts, a single field and gravel space which provides accessibility issues.

The Ministry has also indicated they have no “appetite” or commitment to progress stages two and three of the senior campus, which leaves students learning from transportable portacoms indefinitely.

Our students will not have any learning support services, performing and visual arts spaces, administration services with confidential privacy spaces, counselling and nursing spaces, as well as no library, whare or cultural space on their senior campus.

A single gymnasium would be servicing more than 800 students for all physical education, sports and specialised training facilities needed for NCEA programmes and sports.

There are also more reductions expected for stage one, with the Ministry stating it needed to shave another two million dollars off the budget.

The impact

This will have massive implications for our current learners and future generations and compromises the quality of secondary school education our senior students will receive.

Limited resources for research and learning: Without a library, students lack a dedicated space for research, studying, and accessing a diverse range of learning materials. This limitation can hinder their ability to conduct in-depth research, explore various topics, and cultivate a love for reading.

Reduced support for diverse learning needs: Specialist support services are crucial for students with diverse learning needs. Without these services, students who require additional assistance, whether for learning disabilities or other educational challenges, may struggle to reach their full potential.

Compromised health and wellbeing: The absence of a nurse and counsellor means limited access to immediate healthcare and emotional support. Health issues and emotional challenges may go unaddressed, impacting students' overall wellbeing and potentially hindering their ability to focus on learning.

No provision for bilingual education: The removal of stage two means no bilingual space within the school. The whare and cultural space was being developed and was going to be the heart of the school. This is a space learners would feel connected to te ao Maōri and develop proficiency in te reo Māori.

Inadequate learning environments: Learning visual arts, performing arts, math, social science, languages and English in transportable second-hand portacoms poses significant challenges. These spaces may lack proper ventilation, insulation, and the necessary infrastructure for specialised subjects. This can hinder students' engagement and performance in these critical areas. Visual arts and performing arts require dedicated spaces with proper facilities to foster creativity. Learning these subjects in inadequate environments may limit students' ability to explore and express their creativity fully.

Impact on maths and English proficiency: Maths and English are foundational subjects that require a conducive learning environment. Learning in sub-optimal conditions may lead to distractions, reduced focus, and a lack of resources, potentially impacting students' proficiency in these core subjects.

Potential for disengagement: Inadequate facilities may contribute to a sense of disengagement among students. A lack of proper resources and spaces may lead to reduced enthusiasm for learning, hindering their overall educational experience.

MoE initiative for Rolleston College second campus

The Ministry of Education decided in 2021 after community consultation the best way to cope with roll growth in Rolleston was to create a second campus, rather than open a separate secondary school.

The Government bought the land for the campus at the end of 2021, then Education Minister Chris Hipkins made the announcement. 

“The new campus will provide for the growing number of secondary students in the area. This will give families confidence that their children will have a new, modern campus and the space to support their learning,” Chris Hipkins said at the time. 

The Government said at the time the new campus would be able to accommodate up to 1500 students, with potential to accommodate a further 700 students in future.

The implications of this decision extend beyond the school gates. Rolleston College is an integral part of our community, and its success contributes to the overall wellbeing and growth of the Selwyn district and Canterbury region and Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole. A thriving college attracts families, fosters community pride, and plays a crucial role in the long-term development of our area and the country. 

Our children deserve better

The Ministry's proposal not only fails to address the predicted influx of an additional 2,200 students, but also neglects to provide them with a new, modern campus that supports their learning.

With the rapid growth predicted in our community, the current plan is woefully inadequate. The lack of foresight in accommodating the community’s growth demonstrates a critical oversight that we cannot afford to ignore.

Our children deserve an environment conducive to learning—a modern campus equipped with the necessary facilities to foster their education and growth. The Ministry's failure to provide this is a disservice to the current and future generations of the Rolleston community. 

The urgency

It is essential the new senior campus is fit to deliver the senior curriculum with purpose built classrooms and specialist spaces. It is not an option to run the second campus as an extension, with the two campuses separated by a distance of 2.5km.

A new fully functioning campus is not a luxury, but a necessity to ensure that every student receives the quality education they deserve. We firmly believe that this is not out of transportable portacoms with no access to fundamental facilities required for learning. 

As we are at capacity now, the lack of a timely resolution will further strain resources, impact learning environments, and place added pressure on students, parents, and our dedicated teaching staff.

This news is not just about infrastructure; it's about the Ministry of Education failing our learners and putting our future learners’ education in jeopardy. 

How you can help

Sign this petition to show the Ministry a new purpose-built Rolleston College campus is an absolute necessity for our students, whānau and community. 

We are actively engaging with Government and Ministry officials to convey the critical nature of our situation, and need your weight behind us to deliver this petition to Parliament and show decision makers how this proposal is a failure for our rangatahi. 

Share this petition with friends, family, and community members. Let's unite in advocating for the best possible learning environment for our students that caters to the growth of the Rolleston community. 

You can also submit your feedback and write a letter to the Minister which we will collate and deliver here. 

Thank you for standing with Rolleston College. 

Together, we can ensure our children receive the education they deserve.

Please keep up to date with the latest information on our website here: https://www.rollestoncollege.nz/senior-campus .