8. Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Labour—Christchurch East) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What is her current reason for proposing to close Aorangi School?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
There are three reasons. The reasons for my decision have always been the cost of the rebuild, that it is a small school with a falling roll, and that there are four other schools within a radius of 1.5 kilometres.
Hon Lianne Dalziel Link to this
Why did the Minister tell the Press that Aorangi School had “pretty disappointing achievement results”, when that is not backed up by its Education Review Office report; and will she now publicly correct the impression that the school is failing its students, when she now knows that the students she was referring to were entering the school below the national average and achieving at or above the national average by the time they left?
As I have said, the reasons for my decision have always been the cost of the rebuild, the fact that it is a small school with a falling roll, and the fact that there are four schools within 1.5 kilometres. During my discussion with the chairman of the board and the principal, I asked them why they had not talked about student achievement in their rather substantial submission to me. I say to the House that one of the difficulties that this Government is addressing with the national education standards is that there is no data on student achievement within the ministry, other than what the school cares to publish in its variance report; other than that, there is no information. But the school itself chose not to even mention student achievement in its submissions to me.
Hon Lianne Dalziel Link to this
Did she read the report of the independent facilitator, who stated that if the Minister decided to continue with the rebuild, she would be “entirely in tune with the school, its community, and all the organisations and agencies who work with it”; if so, who is she in tune with in deciding to close the school, which is needed in that community?
I repeat to that member that the reasons for my decision are the cost of the rebuild, the fact that it is a small school with a falling roll, and the fact that there are four other schools surrounding that school within 1.5 kilometres of it.
Hon Lianne Dalziel Link to this
Why did she request that the closure option be included in the ministry briefing paper dated 5 February this year, given that she had written to the board 10 days before that without even mentioning to it the possibility of closure?
That member will be aware—and if she is not, perhaps she could do a little homework—that around the closure of any school there is a process. When writing to the school 10 days earlier I could not have indicated any thoughts I had about what was going to happen with that school.
Hon Lianne Dalziel Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think the Minister misheard my question. I asked her why she had requested 10 days later that the closure option be included in a briefing paper.
Mr SPEAKERHon Lianne Dalziel Link to this
Why did she request that the closure option be included in the ministry briefing paper dated 5 February, given that she had written to the board 10 days before that without even mentioning the possibility of closure?
Hon Lianne Dalziel Link to this
I seek leave to table the very extensive written submission from Aorangi School that the Minister referred to.