The number of students attending Victorian schools is approaching the one million mark and current classroom capacities are struggling to accommodate the boom. As The Age reports, the state will reach one million students in just three years and this staggering statistic has seen schools increasingly turn to innovative and efficient solutions such as modular buildings to deal with overcrowding. Education Minister James Merlino has stated that Victoria is experiencing a population boom and that relocatables would provide a flexible and fast way of managing that growth.
A pioneer of modular school development, Pretect (the commercial division of Swanbuild) has already acquired significant experience in designing and constructing facilities for the education segment. Most recently, Siena Catholic Primary School in Lucas and Assisi Kindergarten in Strathfieldsaye benefited from state of the art Pretect buildings by combining the convenience of prefabricated construction with the perks of customisation. Pretect was able to deliver unique designs that incorporated high ceilings, enhanced natural light and provided residual benefits such as reduced electricity consumption.
St Francis Modular Education Building Recently Completed by Pretect
Every modular school building designed and constructed by Pretect is configured to meet the individual school’s learning objectives, cater to teaching practices and enhance outcomes for students and staff. Educational institutions stand to greatly benefit from modular construction by efficiently housing an increasing number of students but also effectively optimising the functionality of every square meter.
Modular schools offer a range of other advantages compared to past construction methods, these include:
- Minimal Site Disruption: Pretect completes 95% of building work at a manufacturing plant which translates to less time on site and fewer disruptions to school schedules and activities.
- Faster Build Time: Remaining on-site construction can be completed during after-school hours or school holidays in a relatively short period, meeting even the tightest of deadlines.
- Budget: Customised modular design allows construction to remain within strict educational budgetary and funding constraints.
St Peters Modular Education Building Recently Completed by Pretect
With The Grattan Institute predicting that up to 220 new schools would need to be built in Victoria in the next decade to cope with a student boom, the writing on the whiteboard is clear – we have entered a new era in education and innovation is imperative. Pretect offers state-of-the-art solutions for Education facilities designed to foster growth and results that will be felt for generations to come.