Peachey Allan: General Debate 
Peachey Allan: General Debate 
[Volume:670;Page:17275] 
ALLAN PEACHEY (National—Tamaki) 
: 
 When New Zealanders have the chance to look back and reflect on the misfortune that struck Christchurch last month and think about the immediate event the rescue efforts the recovery efforts and now the beginning of the reconstruction they will take a lot of confidence and a lot of satisfaction from the way that their Government has responded—by that I mean government in the broadest possible sense. Obviously it has not been perfect in every instance; in a situation like that it never can be. But I think everybody will agree that it has been pretty jolly good and that large numbers of New Zealanders have got in behind the effort broken their backs and done everything they possibly can. That will continue. 
I want to devote the time I have in my short speech to talk about the education system in Christchurch its response and the challenges that lie before it. Right across the broad aspect of life people are having to adapt and it is no different for the children who go to school their parents and their teachers. But the way that everybody has moved to get the schooling system the education system generally back in operation has been impressive. I understand that by the end of this week 143 Christchurch schools will have been reopened which is 88 percent of schools and 234 early childhood education centres will have reopened which is 69 percent of all centres. Canterbury University is getting up and running. Imaginative exchange programmes have been put in place for students to study at five other New Zealand universities and some students have had the opportunity to go to Adelaide. Christchurch Polytechnic is getting under way as is Lincoln University and a large number of the private training establishments. 
Christchurch City in an education and schooling sense is getting under way and gradually getting back to normal. It will not be easy. One of the most impressive things happening is the sharing of school resources. That is going to be an interesting innovation. It may turn out to be quite an educational experiment from which we will learn a lot and it may have potential for other areas in New Zealand. I certainly will be watching the outcome of that sharing very very closely. There is the Papanui High School/Shirley Boys High School arrangement: Papanui High School operates in the morning; Shirley Boys High School operates in the afternoon. Shirley Boys High School of course was one of the most seriously damaged schools in the city and is a school that has a great record of service and of educating boys in that particular part of the town. 
I noted with interest a comment in the media this morning by the principal of Shirley Boys High School in which he said it would be unrealistic to expect most pupils would catch up on everything they had missed. I am not sure about that but I am confident every effort will be made to ensure the students in Christchurch schools who have lost education will be able to catch up. I am quite excited to hear some of the suggestions made about the possibilities of extra tutorials school during the holidays Saturday classes and bringing in volunteers and retired teachers to help. I have every confidence that where schools decide to go the extra mile for their youngsters whether it be Saturday classes evening classes or holiday classes teachers will step up and do the job because that is what schoolteachers do. As a former school principal and teacher myself I encourage Canterbury teachers to do that. Teachers belong to a profession with a long history of service and when needed—and Mr Davis opposite will concur I think with what I am saying—and when called upon they will step up. In anticipation of that I thank them for their effort.