Government closing schools and giving up on the east

The Green Party is worried that the Government is exploiting the crisis in Christchurch to push through their unpopular education agenda.

The Government has announced they will close 13 schools, many in the hardest hit areas.

"There is a real concern that the Government will take advantage of the disaster to supersize schools and carry out their undermining of the public education system," Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said today.

"We can see how the closure of these schools will allow the Government to accomplish their unpopular agenda.

"There is no doubt that some change is required in Christchurch as people move, but the schools in the east are the hearts of the community and by closing them the Government will isolate those communities even further.

"We think people will be looking closely at the criteria that the Government uses to decide which schools they will close and they will want to see that they are based on relavant factors.

"The people in the east of Christchurch could well feel even more abandoned by this Government.

"Closing schools in the east of Christchurch shrinks any hope of renewal.

"Schools and teachers have been the glue that has held these communities together.

"Closing schools will have an enormous effect on the vulnerable communities living there," said Ms Delahunty.