FREDERICTON (CNB) – Engineers have been making progress and continue to be in schools across the province as part of the structural review that began last fall, Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr announced today.
"Government is committed to safe and healthy learning and working environments for our students and those who work in the school system," said Carr. "The review will identify any problems, and, more importantly, it will give government an overall picture of the state of our education infrastructure and better assist us in making decisions around the capital budget, multi-year planning and asset management."
To date, engineers have assessed 147 schools and have not found any major structural issues. They will continue their work on remaining schools, and they are expected to have assessments of 239 schools completed by the end of May.
“The Department of Supply and Services has been working closely with the engineering team, and we are pleased with the progress that has been made,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claude Williams. “To date, no major structural risks have been identified that would require immediate attention. Our findings so far are what would be expected from buildings of this age.”
Identified repairs to date include concrete steps wearing away, drainage issues outside buildings, and the corrosion of plumbing materials.
Ninety-eight million dollars have been budgeted for capital projects and improvements, including $3 million for structural review repairs.
Further information about the review process and a full list of schools is on the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development website.
LINK:
● Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: www.gnb.ca/education
05-05-11