Opposition Shadow Ministers have urged Government to speak out on the progress of the new $70 million Berkeley Institute secondary school.

Both Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith and Shadow Works and Engineering Minister Erwin Adderley have called for an official update on the construction of the project amid reports that it is behind schedule.

They called for the progress report from Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott yesterday after workers belonging to general contractor Pro-Active Management Systems Ltd. threatened strike action on Friday in a row over back pay.

And one worker also claimed the massive project, which is due to be finished in time for the September term next year, was three or four months behind schedule.

Mr. Adderley said: "We now have a threatened work stoppage on the site. Further, one worker is quoted as saying the work is behind schedule.

"I can also say that in my professional capacity as a planner and building consultant, progress on the new Berkeley campus is painstakingly slow.

"It is unrealistic to expect students to be using the premises in September 2003. In fact, in my professional assessment, and based on seeing the site in person, it is impossible to fathom that students will be able to use the site before September 2004."

Mr. Adderley said it was time that Mr. Scott updated the public.

"The Minister himself should come clean and announce to the Berkeley family, specifically, and to the taxpayers, that progress is slow and a whole new time line is being developed."

Mr. Adderley said he believed the Ministry had thrown more of its people at the site in recent weeks as he had noticed a growing number of senior Works and Engineering personnel on the project.

But, he said, if that was so, the Minister should explain why more civil servants were working there, and what they had found.

However, he said additional construction manpower was also needed, along with weekend and evening overtime.

Mr. Adderley added: "I went to the site on Saturday and it was dead down there. If the Ministry is serious that it wants to get this school finished in time for next year, it should be a hive of activity all weekend."

Opposition education spokesman Mr. Smith said his major concern was for the students who should be attending the new school next year.

"At this juncture, the Ministry of Education should be told that the school will be delivered in 2004," said Mr. Smith.

"Our focus should now turn to the Berkeley family and how the delay will impact the school and its students."

And Mr. Smith questioned whether the present Berkeley site would need further financing and maintenance to keep the building up to standard until the students were able to move to their new school.

He added: "Of course, we also have the problem of student crowding at the existing Berkeley. With the delay, and the addition of the S4 level, the students have to endure some pretty crowded facilities, as well as deteriorating premises.

"Berkeley's good name is being dragged through the mud with the secrecy and evasive Minister.

"We're asking for openness and honesty. The implications of the construction delay are enormous and we may, in fact, avoid certain costs if we acknowledge the delay early."

Mr. Scott last night admitted that progress on the site was not moving along as quickly as he would like, but said he hoped it would pick up soon.

"I would like to see the pace pick up a bit", said the Minister.

"Hopefully, we will be able to focus more resources on the site soon. We did up resources, but I guess that follows through with my comment that I would like to see the pace increased even more.

"We are behind the schedule. To say two months behind might be fair comment, but anything beyond that would be just guesstimate."

However, he said he hoped to have meetings with the general contractors over the coming days when discussions could be held to gauge progress of the new secondary school.

"I know you can't catch up on time lost, but we have some thoughts about the site, so meetings will take place to discuss those thoughts," said the Minister.

"I will most probably be making a more definitive and comprehensive comment about the new second senior school shortly.

"It could be comprehensive enough as to warrant a press conference, or it could be a written report."