Consistent approach to school closures required

MEDIA RELEASE

Consistent approach to school closures required, says
Local Government New Zealand

For immediate release on 24 February 2004

“The Government should take a consistent approach to school closures and halt not just future school reviews but all those currently underway, says Local Government New Zealand Chair of the Rural Sector Group, David Owen.

“We are pleased that the Government has acknowledged that more work has to be done on school closures. However, why should those 71 schools currently under review be penalized because they were ahead of others? Surely the same logic should apply across historical and potential cases,” says Mr Owen.

“This focus on quality teaching and learning also needs to be applied to those schools currently under review. Government policy should be made on the basis of rational and consistent decisions and apply across-the-board, rather than from an arbitrary date.

“We have consistently stated that schools are frequently the community centre, the holder of knowledge, the contributer of social capital and the maintenance of community networks within rural New Zealand. Education is also a key driver of economic development in a region. This criteria should be applied to all schools across New Zealand.”

“We urge the Government to re-consider all school reviews on the basis of the wider impact on the community,” says Mr Owen.

Ends

Local Government New Zealand is the national voice of all 86 councils of New Zealand.

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