Harrison School secondary facility opens for the 2012 school year

Harrison School secondary facility opens for the 2012 school year

Today I joined Harrison School staff and students as they began their first day of classes and toured the new secondary facility opening this year.

It is part of the ACT Government’s investment over the past six years of more than half a billion dollars to upgrade every public school.

We’re making sure Canberra kids are learning at the best schools in Australia.

The ACT Government allocated $51.65 million to design and construct the Harrison secondary facility which will accommodate up to 800 students. This gives the entire Harrison School complex the capacity for 1400 students from Kindergarten up to Year 10.

Features include 18 specialist learning spaces for the teaching of visual arts, horticulture, drama, media, textiles, cooking, computer design, timber and metal fabrication. The two basketball court gymnasium can seat 1000 people and is available for community hire.

Under the Smart School, Smart Student initiative the school supports the latest in information technologies with interactive whiteboards and wireless networks installed throughout the school.

The secondary facility has been designed to achieve a five green star design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia and features:

? onsite rainwater collection for landscape irrigation,

? natural cross flow ventilation,

? energy efficient lighting systems and

? high efficiency insulation

This ACT Government investment in public education ensures Canberra families in the growing suburbs of Gungahlin, Harrison and Franklin have a state-of-the-art public school.