13 Canterbury schools set to close

The Education Minister is trying to console parents from the Canterbury schools that now have an axe over their heads.

Thirteen schools could close, and 18 others are set to merge under the plan for the region's education.

Minister Hekia Parata has a message for the parents.

"Some tough decisions are having to be made, and we have made them balancing all sorts of considerations, but the centre of those have been about 'how do we ensure the best possible education prevision for all learners?'."

Ms Parata says there'll be a consultation phase before final decisions are made.

"The Ministry of Education will be meeting with those communities to now put some real concrete form around what the options are."

There's shock and disbelief from Canterbury principals.

Canterbury Secondary Principals Association chair Neil Wilkinson was at the announcement.

"A range of emotions, from shock and horror through to relief I guess."

Mr Wilkinson says it's obvious a lot of jobs are on the line.

"Always concerned about job cuts anywhere, and there inevitably will be some loss of teachers, good teachers."

Gemma Dekoster has two children at Burnside Primary, one of those in line to close.

She says it's totally gutting for her kids.

"They are going to be very, very upset. This is where they've grown up, this is where they've gone to school. Going to be really, really hard for them, I know my oldest son, he's needed a lot of help from the teachers and that here just to be able to fit in."

BREAK DOWN OF INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS IN CANTERBURY 

CLOSING

Aranui High School

Aranui School

Avondale School

Banks Avenue

Branston Intermediate

Burnham School

Burnside Primary School

Chisnallwood Intermediate

Duvauchelle School

Glenmoor School

Greenpark School (Lincoln)

Hammersley Park School

Kendall School

Le Bons Bay (possible voluntary closure)

Linwood Intermediate

Manning Intermediate

Mckenzie Residential School (closing as per special ed review)

Okains Bay School

Ouruhia Model School

Richmond Primary School

Wainoni School

Aranui Community Learning Cluster

Akaroa Area School 

MERGING

Burwood School and Windsor School (at Windsor) and becoming year 1-8

Central New Brighton with NB South (no indication of where)

Bromley School with Linwood Avenue (on Bromley site)

Discovery and Unlimited (in year 1-13 school on new site in central city)

Freeville and New Brighton North School (awaiting geotech report)

Gilberthorpe and Yaldhurst

Lyttelton Main and Lyttelton West (seems to be Lyttelton Main)

Phillipstown and Woolston - on a new site and becoming year 1-8

Maori Schools...Waitaha and Te Whanau composite 1-13 

UNSURE

Avonside Girls High School - maybe merged with CGHS "dual shift" or closed (dep) geotechnical

CGHS (see above)

Shirley Boys

CBHS

Kaiapoi Borough - set to continue awaiting geotechnical report

Mairehau High School - continue...relocate or establish new entity to meet single sex and co-ed aspirations

Redcliffs - earmarked to continue depending on geotechnical report

Shirley Intermediate - close or become year 1-8

OTHER

Belfast may be expanded (split site)

Halswell Primary - rebuilt as a priority project

Hornby High - may change to year 7-13 (currently 9-13)

Lincoln High - continues with hub in Rolleston

Rolleston - contines with "new provision"

CONTINUING AND RELOCATING

Linwood College

Marshland School (and possibly change to 1-13)

Sockburn School

South Hornby School

Waikuku School (to Pegasus Town)

Waitaha (Hornby)

BECOMING YEAR 1- 8 (CURRENTLY 1- 6)

Shirley

Linwood North School

Hoon Hay

Shirley Intermediate (or it closes, awaiting geotech report)

Rowley Avenue School (Halswell)

Spreydon School

West Spreydon School

For further information on the plan, click here