Chinese Government provides NZ $14.58 million grant for Apii Nikao School Construction Project

After the destruction of part of Avatea Primary School in 2014 in an arson attack, it was decided to merge Avatea with nearby Nikao Maori School into one school called Apii Nikao. The Apii Nikao School Rebuild Committee approved the demolition of Avatea and Nikao Maori schools in late 2014. Its decision then was based on indications from Chinese officials that the Chinese Government was supportive of the school rebuild project and eager to assist the Cook Islands with constructing the Apii Nikao school for the country’s August 50th anniversary celebrations. On April 22, 2015, a project design scheme, created by China Urban Construction Design & Research Institute, was approved. Then, on October 27, 2015, the Chinese Government and the Government of the Cook Islands signed letters of exchange, which committed NZ $14.58 million of grant funding for the Apii Nikao School Construction Project. ON June 22, 2016, a project implementation agreement was signed. China Civil Engineering Construction (CCECC) was the contractor responsible for the construction of the school. It was awarded a construction contract in April 2017 and its work was supervised by China Railway Fifth Survey and Design Institute Group Co. Ltd. CCECC hired Landholding Ltd (a local contractor) to construct the timber block fence surrounding the school and Prestige Furnishings Ltd (another local contractor) to supply storage units for teachers. The purpose of the project was to construct a 5,200 square meter school with the capacity to accommodate 500 students and 40 staff in Rarotonga. Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna said the project has been an “opportunity” for local input to design an environmentally sustainable school. China Urban Construction Design collaborated closely with the school, the Cook Islands Investment Corporation, and the Ministry of Education to prepare detailed designs. These were then reviewed by the Cook Islands Government and local engineers. The project involved the construction of three classroom blocks covering approximately 5,200vm2. The buildings feature flexible learning spaces, including large learning areas for each grade and break-out spaces for individual or smaller group learning. These flexible spaces support innovative learning principles promoted in New Zealand schools. Apii Nikao introduced the innovative learning system when Nikao Maori and Avatea schools merged in early 2015. Water tanks, solar panels for power generation, and a pillared-concrete fencing system were also installed to make the school more resilient to climate change and to reduce its carbon footprint. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 12, 2017. However, construction did not begin until May 23, 2017. An opening ceremony was held for the school on May 4, 2018.

Additional details

This project is also known as the China-Aided Project of Apiii Nikao School in Cook Islands. The Chinese project title is 中国援库阿皮尼考小学项目 or 阿皮尼考小学项目 or 库克群岛阿皮尼考小学项目. The Apiii Nikao School is known locally as Nihao School.

Number of official sources

11

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25