–Minister Parag notes construction is progressing within contract timeline

CONSTRUCTION of a new primary school at Company Road, Buxton, is progressing within the original contract period, with the facility expected to be completed by April 2027, Minister of Education Sonia Parag has said.
The project forms part of the government’s efforts to address overcrowding at the existing primary school and provide pupils with a more suitable learning environment.
During a visit to the construction site, Minister Parag said the need for a new school was brought to the government’s attention several months ago, prompting its inclusion in the national budget.
“A few months ago, there was a request, and it was told to us that it was an absolute necessity for a school to be built, and there was overcrowding at that school. Now we ensured that we listened as a government, and therefore we placed it in the budget,” she said.
According to the minister, construction has already advanced to the foundation stage, with the remaining works involving the installation of the frame and prefabricated structure.
“This is a prefab school, so all of that is being done, and the contract for this school actually ends in April of 2027,” Parag said.
She said her ministry was aware of concerns regarding the pace of works but stressed that the project remains within the agreed contractual timeframe.
“The actual work that is to be done is done, which is the foundation for the school, and then you will have the frame and the prefab of all the prefab frame and all of that coming in to be established right here,” Parag related.
She assured parents, teachers and pupils that the government would continue monitoring the contractor to ensure the project is completed on schedule.
“We will keep monitoring the contractors, ensuring that they complete the works by April of 2027,” she said.
In the interim, the ministry has made alternative arrangements, including a shift system, to ensure that learning continues while construction is underway.
“We have different arrangements and a shift system that is going on, and that’s an arrangement that we had to put in place to ensure that we don’t have disruption in the learning process,” the minister said.
Parag also pushed back against criticism surrounding the project, arguing that the government has continued to prioritise education and investment in schools, particularly in areas affected by overcrowding and limited access.
She said the Buxton project was an example of the government responding to concerns raised by parents and working to provide children with a more comfortable space in which to learn.