Parata Hekia: Urgent Debates — Schools Canterbury—Proposed Closures and Mergers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Parata Hekia: Urgent Debates — Schools Canterbury—Proposed Closures and Mergers 
[Sitting date: 18 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5283. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker. Huri noa i to tatou Whare tena tatou katoa. New Zealand has one of the best and top-performing education systems in the world. That has not happened by accident but by design nor can it be sustained without constant attention and innovation. Our challenge is always how we can do what we do well even better while constantly looking for opportunities to improve where we must. New Zealand must continue to transform its most potent resource our people through the power of education to grow our productivity and economy and to strengthen the social and cultural fabric of our society. 
The terrible tragedy of the earthquakes and the ongoing costs of all its measures has forced upon the people of the greater Christchurch Waimakariri and Selwyn areas both its consequences and its opportunities and upon the people of New Zealand a willing obligation to support. Rebuilding Christchurch is one of four Government priorities. Rebuilding the greater Christchurch area restores the economic pivot of the South Island and the society and culture of its communities. Education not just for now but for a strong future is a critical part of the investment that our Government is making. So on 13 September together with my honourable colleague the Hon Gerry Brownlee we announced a $1 billion investment in the education provisions for the greater Christchurch Waimakariri and Selwyn areas. That $1 billion will over 10 years rejuvenate restore and consolidate the network for education options for our youngest learners to our oldest. 
We cannot simply put back what was there before. We must also make system improvements. From the consultations we were told that people wanted a mix of both tradition and newer 21st century options diversity of choice and more equitable education outcomes. The operational realities of post-quake Christchurch the experience of sharing and collaboration and the innovation that has arisen have also provided insights for ongoing provision. As we embark on this third stage of consultation about educational renewal I want to take the opportunity of once again thanking schools their boards and their principals for the leadership that they have shown and to once again highlight the tremendous success that the senior secondary school students of the region showcase. Some schools have reported an increase of up to 15 percent in National Certificate of Educational Achievement achievements and a quarter of last year’s top scholars came from Christchurch schools. 
So how do we both build on that success and invest in raising that success for five out of five learners? Well in October last year we began the first round of consultation by using an online survey forums and interactive small and public meetings on the future shape of education provision. From the over 200 responses we received we published  
Directions for Education Renewal in Greater Christchurch 
. In May this year we produced yet another document which sets out further provision but this time on the specifics. We published in July the analysis of over 550 submissions and in September we published the opportunities for innovation. All of these together provide the context for the third phase of consultation which we embarked on last week. 
The announcements included the $1 billion investment we are making over a 10-year period in 41 learning community clusters comprising all of the learning options in a geographic community. These clusters provide the opportunity for those communities to consider what they think is their best option and to put forward their cluster plan. In addition I announced three categories: restore consolidate and rejuvenate. They are based on the level of activity and the level of engagement that we anticipate will be necessary for all of those schools. I announced that of the 215 schools 42 have firm proposals for a change of status from closure to merger to shared governance or to complete rebuild. Some secondary schools are awaiting geotechnical information and a range of options have been proffered to them but no firm proposals or finite options have been put on the table. We are still waiting to have those discussions. Of the 173 schools not affected by these firm proposals—that is 80 percent—I announced that 40 would now begin repairs that 23 school swimming pools would be completed by the beginning of term 1 and that new provision would be made in Rolleston Pegasus Town and Halswell. I also announced that there would be three advisory groups: an education advisory board a Waitaha advisory board and a Pasifika advisory board. I announced a multidisciplined fast-moving task force that would be set up and would include external expertise. 
All of this was announced to all schools in two consecutive groups on Thursday. The first group comprised those schools most directly affected. Every school was given detailed information for their school and for the community cluster that they were a part of. They were also given a time line and a process for engagement. They were given contacts for the website and the Ministry of Education has since followed up with a discussion about when over the next few days to schedule a cluster meeting for them. The time line for this third phase of consultation goes through to the middle of next year with more specific processes for different schools all of which will be advised to those schools. It is quite understandable that those communities most directly affected are upset. The challenge is providing certainty and clarity about the next steps. That is what I have done. It will require us to work together and the Ministry of Education has been or is in the process of being in touch with every school to schedule that ongoing consultation. 
I am proposing that of the 42 schools affected by closure or merger 13 are proposed to close. Of those two have sought voluntary closure five have rolls of fewer than 50 and some have sustained earthquake damage and/or are in a cluster that has a range of other options. I am proposing that 18 schools merge of which two are kura kaupapa Maori both of which are in the south and are 5 kilometres apart whilst there is no Maori-medium option in the north. I am proposing that five be replaced by one whole-of-life campus with shared facilities in Aranui and three share governance in Banks Peninsula as an area school. Three are awaiting geotechnical information. All of these proposals are made in the context of a land and building assessment movement of people—before now and projected—educational achievement both pre-quake and post-quake diversity of provision across the network and a system-wide lift in achievement. 
At the centre of this $1 billion investment is a focus on the learner now and in the future and on raising achievement for five out of five learners. I invite all the learning community clusters to take full advantage of the opportunities for engagement and discussion in this third stage of consultation. Thank you.