How Can Nsw Schools Meet Growing Demand for More Classrooms?

Over the past ten years the number of Independent Schools has grown by 15% to reach 332 schools in 2007. New religion based schools (ie. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Islam) are being developed as well as parent based Schools all with the objective of offering education with additional social, moral and religious values. Many of these schools are developed from scratch and therefore require significant building and classrooms infrastructure.

In addition to the growing number of new Independent Schools, there are an increasing number of NSW students attending existing Independent Schools. This trend has escalated the pressure on the amount of existing classroom space. In total there were over 20,000 more students attending an Independent school in 2007 than 5 years ago – an increase of 6%. When compared to 10 years ago, the number of students in Independent Schools has grown a dramatic 19%.

An additional pressure on school infrastructure is the effect of the recently implemented NSW Government’s School Class Size Reduction Policy introduced to reduce class sizes, particularly in the early years from kindergarten to year 2. While overall enrolments in NSW Government Schools have remained flat, most schools need to find additional teaching space to accommodate the extra classrooms needed to meet the new class size requirement.

So how can schools in NSW meet the need for more classroom space in the time required?

One option that is gaining popularity among NSW schools is the use of modular and manufactured classrooms.

These new style modular buildings are a far cry from the old style demountables that were commonly seen in the 1970’s and ‘80’s. Today’s modular buildings offer an end product that is indistinguishable from traditionally constructed buildings, both aesthetically and functionally. They are architecturally designed, using the latest styles and finishes, with a focus on student and teacher comfort, as well as energy efficiency.

While the ‘look and feel’ of these modular classrooms positions them as a great option for schools, an even greater advantage is the timeliness and efficiency of the manufacture and installation process.

Modules are manufactured “off site” at a factory, with most fittings installed at this stage. This not only reduces disruption at the school but also allows building site works to occur in parallel with the building manufacture, therefore expediting the project timing. Modules are transported to the school for installation, which only takes a matter of days to complete. To further reduce disruption to the school grounds, the installation can be scheduled at a time convenient to the school, such as the school holidays. The total project time from design to installation is typically 6-12 weeks, significantly quicker that traditional construction methods.

Modular buildings also offer much greater flexibility than traditional in-situ buildings as they can be moved or modified easily in later years to suit a school’s changing needs. Additionally they make superior financial sense with schools able to access a range of hire and finance alternatives not available for in-situ buildings. In fact modular buildings can even be sold if they are no longer required.

For these reasons many schools are choosing to use modular buildings to meet their increased demand for classrooms space. In a fraction of the time required to undertake traditional construction, schools are realising they can have new, attractive and comfortable classrooms ready for their children in weeks.