Last night I attended the Board of Trustees meeting at Manning Intermediate in Christchurch. It was a difficult meeting, and just as difficult as the school visits and talking with parents, teachers and students that I have been doing since last Thursday’s education bombshell was dropped on our communities.
In the last few days I have seen a look in people’s eyes that I recognise only too well. A look I have realised I have not been seeing for a few months now – one that comes with each major quake or aftershock. It is a look that is a mix of fear, anxiety, helplessness, and an inability to control what is happening around us. Last Thursday’s education announcement double act by Ministers Brownlee and Parata has been as destablising to communities and neighborhoods as any aftershock.
Manning is one of the four intermediate schools across the city earmarked for closure. It is one of ten schools in the Wigram electorate directly impacted by last Thursday’s announcement – two are to close (Manning and Branston Intermediates), one is to relocate to a new site (South Hornby), two are to merge with another school (Gilberthorpes and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Whanau Tahi) and a further four to recapitate,or move from being years 1-6 to being years 1-8 (Hoon Hay, Spreydon, West Spreydon, and Rowley Avenue), and Hornby High is to move from catering for years 9-13 to catering for year 7-13 students.
Inevitable, some might say? Christchurch has suffered major damage and,while there is no doubt that some changes are needed, there is nothing inevitable about what has been proposed. The schools in my electorate earmarked for closure, merger and relocation are in some of the least physically damaged neighbourhoods in the City. Many have had very little earthquake damage. In fact, under the proposal, South Hornby is to move on to the site vacated by Branston. Communities spared by the earthquakes are now being destroyed by the Government’s decision to close their schools.
Already much ink has been spilt and many keys pressed on how badly the Government handled the announcement. None of the school communities in my electorate saw this coming. They thought that being in projected population growth areas (due to the relative stability of the land) they would survive. This is not the case.
These communities have had no input into these decisions and initially read the Minister’s “firm proposals” as pretty much final decisions.
Here is some news for Hekia Parata and John Key. These communities are not battle weary, rather the last two years has made them battle hardened. They are not going to take these assaults on their communities without a fight. They have read your proposals and they say “thanks but no thanks”. They even have some ideas of their own that make sense in their neighbourhoods that they would like you to listen to.
Simply, they want their voices heard and they want a chance to have a say on the kind of education that is offered to their children. The document issued to schools is entitled “Opportunities plus Innovation: Education Renewal in greater Christchurch”, but I struggle to find either opportunity or innovation in shutting communities out of decisions about their futures. As their local MP, I will be there standing with our communities across the electorate as they make their views clear. As will my Labour colleagues across the city.
If you are outside of Christchurch reading this and thinking “poor Christchurch” and “look what the terrible earthquakes have caused”, think again. In fact, be afraid, very very afraid, because the Minister has made it clear that Christchurch is to be the exemplar for the rest of the country. This treatment could be coming to a community near you no matter where you are in New Zealand.
Well put Megan, and I know you will support our local school communities views well.
Sad thing is that the local MOE have had their eye on a number of the listed schools for a while – and instead of investine time and effort into them, instead of listening to their needs, instead of following a more transparent process – the EQs have been used as yet another excuse to kick people in the teeth.
No thanks to the staff in schools who have managed to assist children and their families through tough times when their own futures were uncertain, just a big “stuff you, the govt will do what it wants when it wants”
I’m at the principals conference in Melbourne. I’ve been told two principals attending were told yesterday that their schools are merging!! The whole debacle is another wagon in the train wreck of this government’s education policy. RIP New Zealand’s once wonderful education system.
So, Christchurch have had a major earthquake, a few thousand students have disappeared, and you think nothing should change from how its always been. Ok – is this planet Labour?
I am disgusted by the Govt’s exploitation of Christchurch’s earthquake to further push this ghastly ACT/Nat policy of Charter Schools. It is an excuse to privatise our Education System and also undermine teacher unions. I has nothing to do with quality education. The bean counters have no concept of community either and the impact this will have on everyone. Christchurch Schools and kids do not need this! We all stand behind you. I also believe it is true that this is a very nasty experiment which they want to unroll through out NZ.
Ah, like when Labour closed every Intermediate in Invercargill? Sounds to me like the example was already established..
It’s not as if these are all small and declining schools. Chisnallwood is a huge and very successful intermediate, which gives real hope and opportunity to students in a hard-hit suburb. What on earth is the sense in changing that?
People of Christchurch, this is what happens when you vote in nat mps.
Eg, if you kept Brendan, no nat majority, no sticky fingers in your school pies.
Hope you learn the lesson your kids won’t ever forget.
Joanie Panting says:
September 19, 2012 at 9:49 pm
I am disgusted by the Govt’s exploitation of Christchurch’s earthquake to further push this ghastly ACT/Nat policy of Charter Schools.
Paranoid much Joanie? I am disgusted by the use of children in these weak protests! Kids are kids; not political pawns.
I don’t think the announcements were handled well. I get that much, but come on people, we are talking about the sector getting a view from the ministry and now discussions begin. Put the energy into that rather than another effing protest!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rmV4osT_4s&feature=player_embedded
Really?
What use is there in having schools that are half empty? What use is there having schools where teachers that have no-one to teach? Labour merged schools in Dunedin against the wishes of the parents, totally ignoring their views, but I guess thats ok. Also to try and make political milage (again!), by using kids and putting words in their mouths,is shabby at best. Please don’t try to tell the public any comments from 8 year olds are candid and unrehearsed.
@Nevan Bridge – Melbourne eh? Who’s paying for it? The taxpayer? Did it come out of your school budget? What did you sacrifise to be there? You have a good time now.
“Who’s paying for it? The taxpayer?
What did you ‘sacrifise’ to be there?”
Who paid for your education, Dave?
Obviously money well spent. Seek a refund, mate.
You’re right Dave… its these damned lefties, union-lubbin teachers coaching these kids to believe that they don’t want their schools to close! Self-interested troughers, the lot of them! I’m sure those kids are baying for the chance to have their lives disrupted, their existing friendship groups destroyed and their attachments to their teachers threatened!
Oh Dave – king of the Daniel Plainview-esque “I’M SMARTER THAN YOU!” board trolling – don’t ever change.
“don’t ever change”
Not unless there’s a money back guarantee… Just incase
looks very much like a secret agenda to me. We need smaller schools not bigger ones, so no child can slip through the cracks unnoticed. Doesnt matter what political party you voted for the wrong one got in, (I didnt vote for the Nats) so to those who did I say thank you very much for a big fat nothing. If we are truly serious about stopping this, then stop talking about it and start doing something. Talk stops nothing, only some serious action will be meaningful. We are all a pack of sheep, we baa a lot then go back to chewing the grass. Come on people, we need to stand up to these little hitlers and make them understand we wont put up with their beaurocratic crap.
So what are we going to do about it, stand up and fight or roll over and play dead. Bout time we got some @#**%. A counter revolution seems to be what is called for right now.
I no longer say poor Christchurch – I now say stop your blooming moaning – of course the schools need to be revamped – there are 4500 less students in the town – what a great opportunity to rethink the school areas and build some lovely new schools – what a lucky town Christchurch is to be getting these lovely new schools… just stop moaning and let them get on with rebuiding your city – things would go so much quicker if it wasn’t for all the incessant moaning going on.