Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Students at Southbridge School back at school after it was closed after the earthquake. From left Neesha Ineson (10) Jessica Carter (10) and Bethan Johanson (11)".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Luke Robb 10, Mitchell Fraser and Zack Robb. Mitchell, Luke and Zack's cousin, helps them settle into Sacred Heart Timaru after their school was closed in Christchurch due to the earthquake".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "From left, Zack Robb, 6, Mitchell Fraser, 12, and Luke Robb, 10. Mitchell, Luke and Zack's cousin, helps them settle into Sacred Heart Timaru after their school was closed in Christchurch due to the earthquake".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "From left, Zack Robb, 6, Mitchell Fraser, 12, and Luke Robb, 10. Mitchell, Luke and Zack's cousin, helps them settle into Sacred Heart Timaru after their school was closed in Christchurch due to the earthquake".
A protest sign painted on a fence shows a bulldozer labelled "Govt." driven by a woman (presumably representing Education Minister Hekia Parata) running over a sheep labelled "Chch schools", next to the words "Every time you close a school you have to build a jail - Mark Twain." The photographer comments, "Due to the earthquakes in Christchurch and parents leaving the area to give their children a quieter and more education friendly life a lot of the local schools especially in the East of Christchurch are to be closed or amalgamated. This was a decision by the government without consultation with any other authorities. Mark Twain actually said 'Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail'".
A worried Hekia Parata, Minister of Education, tells John Key, the Prime Minister, that schools in Canterbury are resisting being merged. John Key replies that the government will go through a 'consultation process' and then 'do what we like'. However the schools are claiming marae status and thus protection under the Treaty of Waitangi. The 'Hui report' which the Prime Minister is holding confirms this fear. The Ministry of Education, given the excuse of the Canterbury earthquakes, announced that many schools there will be merged or closed. Threatened schools, particularly the two Maori language schools, lodged complaints with the Waitangi Tribunal. 'Hui reports' refers to the claims and resulting hui over the water rights of the proposed partial privatisation of state assets. Colour and black and white versions available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).