A video of an interview with John Laurenson, Principal at Shirley Boys' High School, about the Government announcement of a possible merger of Shirley Boys' and Christchurch Boys' High Schools. Laurenson explains that the government has retracted this statement and that Shirley Boys' will be rebuilt. He also talks about how the announcement has upset the Shirley community.
A video of Principal Tony Simpson announcing to staff and parents at Phillipstown School that the Ministry of Education has decided to merge the school with Woolston School. The video also includes an interview with Tony Simpson about the merger, and his hopes for education in Christchurch in the future.
A video of an interview with Toni Burnside, the Principal of Central New Brighton School, about the proposed merger of her school with South New Brighton School. Burnside talks about her belief that the government's rationale for the merger exaggerated the earthquake damage to the site.
A graphic giving the status of Burnham Primary School.
A video about the Ministry of Education's decision to close Avondale Primary School. The video includes interviews with Principal Mark Scown and Julie Begg, the parent of a student at the school.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Matthew Rogers (11) from Banks Avenue School in Dallington. First day back to school after 'quake-break'".
Thousands of school children in Canterbury went back to school today, for the first time since the earthquake nine days ago.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Oxford Area School students Becky Hewitt (left) and Tom Erceg played yesterday after their school re-opened".
A video of a protest against the merging of Phillipstown and Woolston Schools. Staff and students from Phillipstown School lead a march down Ferry Road to highlight the dangers children will face walking to school if Phillipstown is closed. The video also includes interviews with Phillipstown Principal Tony Simpson and Christchurch City Councillors Peter Beck and Makere Hubbard, about the protest and the merger.
A video of an interview with Tony Simpson, Principal of Phillipstown School, about the technology centre at the school. This video is part of a series which looks at the innovative projects which will be lost if the Ministry of Education pushes ahead with its school closure and merger plans.
A video of an interview with Judith Bell, music teacher at Chisnallwood Intermediate School, about the school's award-winning jazz band. This video is part of a series which looks at the innovative projects which will be lost if the Ministry of Education pushes ahead with its school closure and merger plans.
School travel is a major aspect of a young person’s everyday activity. The relationship between the built environment that youth experience on their way to and from school, influences a number of factors including their development, health and wellbeing. This is especially important in low income areas where the built environment is often poorer, but the need for it to be high quality and accessible is greater. This study focusses on the community of Aranui, a relatively low income suburb in Christchurch, New Zealand. It pays particular attention to Haeata Community Campus, a state school of just under 800 pupils from year one through to year thirteen (ages 5-18). The campus opened in 2017 following the closure of four local schools (three primary and one secondary), as part of the New Zealand Government’s Education Renewal scheme following the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010/11. Dedicated effort toward understanding the local built environment, and subsequent travel patterns has been argued to be insufficiently considered. The key focus of this research was to understand the importance of the local environment in encouraging active school travel. The present study combines geospatial analysis, quantitative survey software Maptionnaire, and statistical models to explore the features of the local environment that influence school travel behaviour. Key findings suggest that distance to school and parental control are the most significant predictors of active transport in the study sample. Almost 75% of students live within two kilometres of the school, yet less than 40% utilise active transport. Parental control may be the key contributing factor to the disproportionate private vehicle use. However, active school travel is acknowledged as a complex process that is the product of many individual, household, and local environment factors. To see increased active transport uptake, the local environment needs to be of greater quality. Meaning that the built environment should be improved to be youth friendly, with greater walkability and safe, accessible cycling infrastructure.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake damage to Halswell School. School Principal Bruce Topham (left) and engineer Malcolm Freeman look at the damage".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake damage to Halswell School. School Principal Bruce Topham (right) and engineer Malcolm Freeham look at the damage".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake damage to Halswell School. School Principal Bruce Topham (right) and engineer Malcolm Freeham look at the damage".
School of Forestry signage.
School of Forestry signage.
This thesis examines the closing of Aranui High School in 2016, a low socio-economic secondary school in eastern Christchurch, New Zealand, and reflects on its history through the major themes of innovation and the impact of central government intervention. The history is explored through the leadership of the school principals, and the necessity for constant adaptation by staff to new ways of teaching and learning, driven by the need to accommodate a more varied student population – academically, behaviourally and culturally – than most other schools in wider Christchurch. Several extreme changes, following a neoliberal approach to education policies at a national government level, impacted severely on the school’s ability to thrive and even survive over the 57 years of its existence, with the final impact of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes leading indirectly to Aranui High’s closure. The earthquakes provided the National government with the impetus to advocate for change to education in Christchurch; changes which impacted negatively on many schools in Christchurch, including Aranui High School. The announcement of the closure of Aranui High shocked many staff and students, who were devastated that the school would no longer exist. Aranui High School, Aranui Primary School, Wainoni Primary School and Avondale Primary School were all closed to make way for Haeata Community Campus, a year 1 to 13 school, which was built on the Aranui High site. Aranui High School served the communities of eastern Christchurch for 57 years from 1960 and deserves acknowledgment and remembrance, and my hope is that this thesis will provide a fair representation of the school’s story, including its successes and challenges, while also explaining the reasons behind the eventual closure. This thesis contributes to New Zealand public history and uses mixed research methods to examine Aranui High School’s role as a secondary school in eastern Christchurch. I argue that the closure of Aranui High School in 2016 was an unjustified act by the Ministry of Education.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Proof that one can make a difference. Beth Price (year 7, age 12), a pupil from Hadlow School in Masterton was the instigator and driver for a fundraiser effort for Christchurch's Belfast School to the tune of over $2000 after seeing the damage caused by Christchurch's September 4th earthquake. Beth Price in her school uniform at Belfast School".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Proof that one can make a difference. Beth Price (year 7, age 12), a pupil from Hadlow School in Masterton was the instigator and driver for a fundraiser effort for Christchurch's Belfast School to the tune of over $2000, after seeing the damage caused by Christchurch's September 4th earthquake. Beth Price in her school uniform at Belfast School".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Proof that one can make a difference. Beth Price (year 7, age 12), a pupil from Hadlow School in Masterton was the instigator and driver for a fundraiser effort for Christchurch's Belfast School to the tune of over $2000 after seeing the damage caused by Christchurch's September 4th earthquake. Beth Price in her school uniform at Belfast School".
Old CHristchurch Girls' High School.
More now on the charter schools which the Government is planning to trial in South Auckland and in some parts of Christchurch, which were hit badly in the earthquake.
A new report has heavily criticised how the Ministry of Education handled the post-earthquake Christchurch school reshuffle nearly four years ago.
Damage to Cranmer Courts, formerly the Normal School. The tower has collapsed, exposing interior walls.
A graphic giving the status of Woolston School.
A graphic giving the status of Richmond School.
A graphic giving the status of Greenpark School.
A graphic giving the status of Bromley School.
A graphic giving the status of Wainoni School.