Students fear fire will hit uni chances

by Kristy Martin | 22nd July 2010

Rotorua Lakes High School students are hoping a fire at the school doesn't affect their chances of getting into university courses.

The blaze on Monday night left the school's science block with extensive damage to the ceiling and smoke damage to two rooms that were being renovated.

Renovations, which included a new specialist physics and chemistry lab, were due to be completed next week.

Police were treating the fire as suspicious and the school was closed on Tuesday while fire safety officers investigated.

The school reopened yesterday and principal Bruce Walker said it was good to have it up and running again.

"We are only two classrooms down," Mr Walker said.

Rotorua Lakes High School students said they felt as if they were missing out on essential learning time because of the fire at the school.

Head girl Brogan Rose-Whiston, who hopes to get into medical school, said science students would suffer from the blaze.

She said students who took science subjects could miss out on necessary practical lessons.

"It will make it a lot harder to get in [to university]," Brogan said.

She said while science teachers were trying to simulate practical lessons, students were mostly carrying on with theory work.

Brogan said whoever had started the blaze deserved a "harsh punishment".

"I'm shocked someone would do that, especially because it was being renovated.

"We lost a lot of resources."

The 17-year-old said the seventh form were a tight-knit bunch who were all feeling disappointed about the fire.

Prefect Jeremy Pinfold said he was "gutted" when he found out the science block was damaged by fire.

"I'm just amazed that there's people out there who'd want to do that to something that was there for everyone."

Jeremy, 17, studies chemistry, physics and biology and said science was his favourite subject.

He was worried about all the practical work the students were missing out on as well as the written work that could have been lost in the fire.

However, staff and students had not been able to gain access to the block to see what had survived the flames.

Rotorua police want members of the public to help to find the people responsible for the fire.

Anyone who can assist, or who has any knowledge about who may have set the fire, is urged to contact the Rotorua Police on (07) 348 0099.