News of proposed closure of eight Tararua rural schools following a "community initiated" review is causing great disquiet in the Tararua District.
The Government has been accused of "duping communities" into
reassessing the education needs of their children, only to get a foot
in the door to shut schools.
The accusations and growing anger come from the latest
community to be hit with a sweeping education review the Tararua
District where eight schools have been signalled for closure.
The
review process, called a Community Initiated Education Plan or CEIP,
has also been criticised by the Principals Federation, which says the
process is flawed as it leaves communities wrenched apart by
uncertainty.
I attempted to find the report for the Tararua District on the Ministry of Education website. While there is some general information about the review programme, there was no report. I contacted the Ministry of Education yesterday. Now there are links to various documents, but no documents behind the links!
The structure of Community Initiated Education Planning smacks strongly of school closures being forced on communities, but with "consultation" appearing to have taken place first. The last Labour Government got its fingers burnt with some disastrous exercises.
Masterton primary schools are still feeling the effects of restructuring some years down the track, and the Harley Street and Landsdowne School sites - still unsold - are a mecca for vandals.
It will be interesting to see what John Hayes - and the National Government - do in response to an uproar in the heartland of his electorate.
While fewer, larger schools may offer enhanced curriculum and infrastructure, I would argue that the smaller rural schools are the glue that holds a community together. Parents are closely involved with all aspects of school life - a key requirement for student success. School events are community events and everyone gets involved. Shy, quiet children feel more comfortable in a small school.
I question the assertion that no child will be more than 40 minutes away from a school under the proposed changes. That might be true by car. The Tararua district is full of hilly, narrow, winding roads. I followed the bus from Mangamaire School the other day as it slowly wound its way through the hills, far more slowly than a car. Most children attending these rural schools already have a long trip to get to their existing schools. It will be particularly hard on five year olds.
It may well be there is justification for merging one or two schools. I hope commonsense and the needs of children and the community will prevail over wholesale closures.
