There aren’t many schools operating in the St Albans area, despite a population of 60,000+ but at least none of the schools in the area will close or merge as part of the Government’s complete reconfiguring of the Christchurch education landscape. St Albans Primary School in Sheppard Place is one Christchurch School to escape the axe.
Three eastern primary schools plus Chisnallwood Intermediate will merge with Aranui High School to form a Year 1 to 13 school, probably on one site.
Not so lucky were the following schools which will probably close: Burnside, Banks Avenue, Richmond, Glenmoor School, Hammersley Park School, Kendal School and Ouruhia Model School. Branston, Linwood and Manning Intermediate schools will also close. What will become of the Intermediate schools facing closure? Will they be tacked onto nearby high schools or primary schools or bussed to the few remaining schools, become part of a middle school or their sites providing readymade campuses for the experimental charter schools?
The bulk of closures and mergers are in the east of Christchurch where the population has declined because of earthquake damage. However, changes are also expected in Duvauchelles, Le Bons Bay, Okains Bay, Burnham and Greenpark suggesting the shakeup goes beyond the earthquakes.
The most shocking news -now on hold until geotechnical reports are completed next year- involved Avonside Girls and Shirley Boys possibly merging with other single sex schools and running shifts to do so. Hopefully commonsense will scotch that one. Although, it kept some schools going in 2011 a dual shift school is not a feasible longterm solution for any school because of the disruption to employment of parents, transport, distance from home, missed sporting opportunities, lost local communities and less social cohesion.
These are not solutions the communities have come up with themselves -they would not be so stupid (or radical depending on your point of view). Is this a discussion document or a fait accompli? Is there room for real negotiations or will the consultations in November be for procedure’s sake? Either way, this is scary stuff. The earthquakes have been traumatic enough without a seismic rupture in the educational fabric as well.
