Eyes of the world on Christchurch schools change

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Eyes of the world on Christchurch schools change

3News NZ

By 3 News online staff

The Government's education shake-up in Christchurch could be a world-first, according to one education expert.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor of Canterbury University's College of Education says the proposed 13 closures and 18 mergers will be watched by educators across the globe.

Professor Gail Gillon says the unprecedented move will be an intriguing development.

“The world has been very interested in our recovery of the city, and therefore the reorganisation of our education system here in Canterbury will be of interest to educators globally,” she told Firstline this morning.

Ms Gillon supports the move.

“We certainly need some reorganisation, that’s very clear,” she says, “but we’re going to need reorganisation that at the end of the day makes a difference.”

Ms Gillon says the moves will create opportunities to review New Zealand’s education system, but also teach a lot about the way teachers and students interact and create a cultural identity.

“For children who are used to being in smaller schools to come into a large learning community classroom is going to be very challenging,” she says.

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20/09/2012 9:43:06 p.m.

Jaime Khajotia wrote:

I live in a cluster of 5 schools. Two being catholic, one being intermediate. One being a decile 10 school and a school which I love. A school with everyday people, a school which thrives on our needs for our children. A school where kids thrive on excellence, thrive on compassion interigrity respect. A school which gives all children all opportunities to exceed. A school with children of up to 40 Nations. Children from all walks of life. Every child is truely acknowledged. Yes Burnside Primary is the best. A school that has an amazing family of teachers. And to top it of the best Principal in Christchurch. A very amazing man.
I drive from Riccarton. I have 3 Primary Schools in my area. One being across the road which is a decile 1 or 2. A catholic Primary. Then one other already populated school. I have chosen to take my children to Burnside Primary. I could never take myself to think of taking them to another school. BURNSIDE PRIMARY IS THE BEST TRULEY!!!!!
How can they ever consider closing a school like that. A school that branches to Cobham Intermediate then to Burnside High. Now that is a cluster. A cluster of its own.

18/09/2012 9:10:34 a.m.

Jacqelyne taylor wrote:

'Professor Gail Gillon says the unprecedented move will be an intriguing development' for the world to watch? Really? I doubt it will be 'intriguing' for the children, parents, or caregivers who are the guineapigs being 'reviewed' in this experiment? I also think it will be more than just 'challenging' for all, including the many teachers, support staff etc found suddenly to be 'surplus to requirements'. Ones who will suddenly find themselves less intriguingly part of one of the other disastrous social experiments in NZ. One that involves joining Paula Bennett's Unemployment but looking? ranks; where they will also find a similar lack of compassion, comprehension or humanity. The fact Parata as with the increased class sizes showed, has no clue as to what the young have already been through here should actually be another Alarm bell. This is the same policy isnt it, just tinkered with and confined to one region for now! Here kids parents & teaching staff are also being treated as numbers to juggle, rather than real people.. WAKEUP NZ. If this proves to be as disastrous as National's answers so far in 2012, to job creation, reducing ACC/welfare recipients, and lowering the youth suicide rates never mind the mythical 'brighter future' for all? will that be a 'World First' watched & reported globally we really want to boast about too? What an unbelievably crass piece of claptrap to add insult to injury for these people! The earthquakes and zoning debacles have already torn communities apart, and given what those remaining in Canterbury have already been subjected to by this unbelievably callous government, this may be the final straw for many more.In plain english.If Labour was considered a Nanny State. National should be considered a Wicked Step-Mother State.

17/09/2012 1:38:40 p.m.

Tedc wrote:

It certainly looks like a set of proposals straight from the Milton Friedman book of dirty tricks. The National government only wants a good education system for those who can afford to pay for one.

17/09/2012 12:45:18 p.m.

Johan wrote:

Another case of management fighting for control of the education system. Yes, we have seen it all before, bulk funding, closing down smaller schools and centralising educational institutions in order to achieve greater control by a National led gov't. Most teachers vote Labour and have known to actively campaign against National reps during elections. Each time the Nats are elected to govern, one of the first items on the agenda is to sabotage the educational system. It is a pity that the people who we elect have so little regard for the children who are most affected by these drastic and unproductive changes.

17/09/2012 10:15:08 a.m.

emily wrote:

These sound like the views of a dispassionate academic. The teaching and parent communities don't seem to find the advent of these changes 'intriguing'. They are more worried about the effects on their communities and their children's education. This is not a reality show with a global audience, this is our NZ education system. Yes, it might be time for innovation in Christchurch but any innovation must be informed by those living the reality.

17/09/2012 10:11:52 a.m.

Wiseacre wrote:

Disaster capitalism being used to close down public schools and then impose privatised profit-driven charter schools on the people of Christchurch. And the taxpayer to foot the bill. Much like what happened in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

17/09/2012 9:46:03 a.m.

alison wrote:

Large learning community classroom smacks of larger class numbers and coupled with the addition of challenged students from the special need school closures is a recipe for disaster. No wonder the globe watches with anticipation so they dont fall into the same trap.

17/09/2012 9:05:32 a.m.

kowtow wrote:

"Ms Gillon supports the move." She just wants to hang on to her job and suck up to the Minister so the College doesn't get its funding cut too.