The National Government appears to have adopted the age old tactic of divide and rule in Christchurch. Proposing sweeping education reforms of schools closures and merge options totally contradict the message that the Government will ‘consult with’ and ‘listen to’ the community. Yeah Right!
Unless you live in Christchurch it is very hard to comprehend the daily stress families cope with to carry on in a ‘new normal’ scenario. Many continue to wait for insurance claims to be confirmed, rebuild projects to commence, and for some greater certainty about job security. This is just a surface snapshot as there is so much more happening in peoples lives.
Instead of listening and working with the community constructively, the Minister of Education bowls her way though with an inefficient consultation process, questionable data and shallow analysis of submissions to justify broad sweeping changes. This is a trend that should worry any community.
There is no coherence to the network provision of education from early childhood options, through to schooling and tertiary pathways. This is a problem. The rebuild in Christchurch will be done over a number of years, if done well, the city will be an attractive place for business, to live, raise a famility and pursue tertiary education offerings. It doesn’t seem like the Minister has her eye on the future. Her short-sighted cost saving approach will lead to an educaiton network that is ill-equipped for 21st century learning or the prospect of coping with an influx of people prepared to rebuild and possibly live in the city.
What is particularly disturbing is the Economic Recovery Plan for Christchurch has not been revealed. It doesn’t make any sense to address the education issues without having a clear picture of the economic growth potential of Christchurch.
More cause for concern all the way around! The good people of Christchurch deserve more than political window dressing and opportunistic point scoring. Childrens futures hang in the balance. They need a well thought through system of education network provision.
Things can be done differently. The community want to be engaged in 21st solutions for the city rebuild. Parents want greater assurance that their aspiration to have a world class education for their child is not thwarted by the Government using the earthquake as an excuse to save money. Children in Christchurch deserve more – how different will the final proposal for Christchurch schools really be? Your thoughts?
Are you saying that if Labour was in power that all the schools would stay open? Even though there are, apparently, 3000 less pupils to actually go to all these schools? Would you keep the same number of teachers at all those schools as well? Otherwise someone might be “upset” that their teacher “mrs smith” wasnt there. Things would be “different” and that would be “upsetting”.
Those principals would better working with the ministry to get a good enough outcome for their pupils. Not trying to live in the past and protect their jobs.
When you have a major earthquake, I think you should expect things might be going to change a bit. The rest of NZ are certainly willing to give Christchurch a lot of lee-way. This one might be pushing it a bit.
@onetrack the community and parents are willing to consider a new normal alternative based on robust consultation with them. Problem is that National has applied a one size fits all solution to recommendation about which schools close and merge based in a flawed analysis – How can that be in the best interests of the children?
While it’s always amusing to watch those who insist that their own methods of decision making are the only ones that can be used, it tends to lead toward promotion of a dictatorial approach to proper governance…
This is, of course, the only way that reactionary, self serving servants of the “aristocracy” can operate, as they havn’t the mandate from their owners to actually attempt to govern in the “democratic” tradition…
None the less, it is still irritating to have supporters of these methods applying their own principles to any other group who would seek to govern using the democratic principles…
It’s called transference, and is one of the most common failings of any reactionary approach, as it always ends up creating more, completely unnecessary, side issues that then become “the main issue” as espoused by rupert murdochs fourth estate….
It’s all very shallow, and “one tracked”, and has become a very deep rut that is incredibly difficult to remove ourselves from whilst the issues are continually misrepresented for the benefit of those who are only interested in fleecing the structures of government put in place to ensure inter-generational security foe ALL New Zealanders..
Consultation carried out with a mind to achieving outcomes that have all parties having ownership of the solution is just something the “johnny sparkles and his merry pranksters” party are quite simply, incapable of understanding, let alone carry out…
THAT is the rather obvious difference between true democratic governance, and what the “merry pranksters” are indulging themselves in….
@OneTrack – “3000 fewer pupils”
FIFY.
bbfloyd a well written piece, Johnny Sparkles and his Merrymen quite frankly do not understand the meaning of consultation.
They will talk to various groups and various people however they have already made up their minds and will make their own decisions anyway.
Look where the world is having been placed in the safe hands of Merchant Bankers. Greece here we come.
It sucks Nanaia !!!!
!
I feel sorry for the kids
Tim G – Thankyou., I will consider myself suitably admonished and send myself to the naughty chair
. I was never any great shakes at english but have been trying to catch up and I thought I had that one sorted.
@Jack…It’s heartening to know just how many people I come across now that understand just how duplicitous this non government is…. and just how deeply they are indebted to the people heading corporates around the world that have only profit taking as their aim regarding new zealand….
Comforting indeed to watch the only defense being put up having no relationship to any reality that can be demonstrated… so is easily “sidetracked” into meaningless, personal conversations that have no relevance to the subject at hand…Displaying both bad manners, and a woefully weak grasp of the realities facing those at the receiving end of this pseudo “consultation” pantomime….
We can only hope that whatever it is making johnny sparkles so nervous lately comes out into the public arena, so that we can have the opportunity to remove the “cancer” eating away at our ability to be a sovereign country, and exercise our right to self determination..
“We can only hope that whatever it is making johnny sparkles so nervous lately comes out into the public arena”
But I ticked the no publicity box
Preserving our sovereignty is the most important thing it appears Johnny Spakles and his henchmen want to sell us down the road. Ever since the sale of BNZ to Fay Richwhite we have drifted down an aimless path.
The main driver of house prices in Auckland is Chinese Investment, I honestly don’t know how our children are going to afford houses in this city, especially with our low wage economy.
Does John Key really care about NZ citizens.
Quite simply – these kids and their parents, already massively effected by the quakes and under served by their government and insurance companies deserve a break and some compassion – not the Shock Doctrine!
This move in Christchurch also lays bare Parata’s idea of what school’s do. National Standards data (released this week) is all important but what is missed is the work that teh schools do to look after kids and to contribute to the community which it seems is no longer the job of society.