Half-empty NZ schools 'needs addressing'

The Education Ministry has been told it can't afford to ignore the high number of under-utilised classrooms around the country. New figures show one in seven schools are being left half empty or worse, with some operating at just nine or 10 percent of their capacity. The figures requested by RNZ News show 330 schools or 14 percent of the 2430 state and integrated schools were at less than 51 percent of their capacity in March 2017. They include 102 in rural or isolated areas, and seven that were recently built in areas where rolls are rising. Mike Williams from the Secondary Principals Association told our education correspondent John Gerritsen that he is not surprised by the numbers, but it is a problem that needs addressing.