Improving the learning environments of small and remote schools
Efficient project management is the key to bringing a large Ministry of Education programme in on time and under budget.
Ngā iti Kahurangi (NIK) programme, initiated by the Ministry of Education, aims to enhance the learning environments of over 600 small and remote schools nationwide.
The Challenge
Ngā iti Kahurangi (NIK) programme, initiated by the Ministry of Education, aims to enhance the learning environments of over 600 small and remote schools nationwide.
By addressing lighting, noise, comfort, and energy efficiency, NIK seeks to not only tackle maintenance issues but also foster improved educational outcomes through evidence-based improvements. The core components of the project upgrades that offer immediate benefits to schools, including new, high-quality LED lighting, acoustic panels to create better sound environments, quality carpet tiles in teaching spaces, and thermal insulation in ceilings.
Successfully completing the programme means project managing work on hundreds of schools, on tight schedules, with contractors often needing to travel significant distances to do the work, while bringing the whole programme in on budget and on time.
Torque IP is the project manager for the Central North Island zone of the project, managing work on more than 270 schools. Torque IP handles the whole project, scheduling assessments, developing the plan for upgrades, engaging contractors, handling all communications with the school, and doing quality assurance to ensure what is delivered matches the design specification.
Phil Earl, Torque IP’s Technical Director says the process starts with doing a full audit on each site. “The Ministry does not always have accurate plans for these schools due to changes over time, so our first step is to create a digital twin using Matterport cameras. We scan the entire school and create accurate plans which are then reconciled with what the Ministry has on record for the school. We also do both lux testing and reverb testing to see if light levels and reverberation times in the teaching spaces meet the Ministry's Designing Quality Learning Spaces (DQLS) guidelines.”
Torque IP documents where new light fittings, RCD sockets, ceiling insulation, acoustic panels and new carpet tiles in teaching spaces are required. Digital twins are instrumental in reducing costs and improving outcomes. Torque IP is able to have lighting and acoustic specialists look at the digital twin to determine problems and recommend actions without the need for a site visit, saving both time and expense.
Likewise new software tools allow the on-site team to test lighting and reverberation levels, quickly work out whether the planned changes are sufficient to achieve the outcome, all without needing the expense of on-site consultants.
Torque IP also engages asbestos surveyors not just on the areas where work will be undertaken but the whole school. An asbestos management plan is produced so, apart from any work done in areas that the project touches, the school has a plan going forward on how to deal with any asbestos identified within the school.
The first step is to create a digital twin, scanning the entire school and creating accurate plans which are then reconciled with what the Ministry has on record.
Results
The benefit for schools, says Earl, is that the central procurement model for products used in the project delivers not just cost savings, but better quality. “There’s obviously a per unit price difference between buying 200,000 lights and buying two. But the Ministry also wanted quality. Schools aren’t just getting upgrades, they’re getting upgrades that cost less, will last longer and have lower maintenance costs.”
Feedback from participating schools has been overwhelmingly positive, citing seamless project management and minimal disruption to teaching activities. Improved lighting, insulation, and flooring have been particularly well-received, contributing to a better learning environment.
Overall the programme, due to finish at the end of 2026, is coming in on time and under budget, and has been expanded from its original target of 570 schools to 763.