Ministry admits defeat

Christchurch: The Ministry of Education has done a Uturn over a postearthquake school rebuild after spending millions of dollars on a failed approach.

Christchurch Girls’ High School will get a new main block after five years of trying to strengthen the existing one.

The ministry was told by consultants in 2015 it would cost much less to rebuild it entirely.

Instead, the ministry spent about $7 million on strengthening it before work ground to a halt in the past two years, due to cost blowouts and disruption to classes.