Monday 6 August 2001 Media Statement

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said today his number one priority for future schooling in his home suburb of Wainuiomata was to ensure that a high quality education was available to all children.

He was announcing his final decisions on the restructuring of schooling in the valley, which will see the number of state schools there reduced from 12 to seven from the beginning of next year.

Trevor Mallard said everybody had known for some years that there were too many schools in Wainuiomata, and it had fallen on him as both Minister and a local resident to put his signature on the bottom line of the final outcome.

That having been done, he said it was now time for everybody to look forward to what he was certain would be a brighter future for the education of local children.

Over four years, he said, it was estimated that more than $3 million would be released as operational savings as a result of the changes that were about to take place.

In addition to this amount, $11.5 million will be available for further property development. This is $8.5 million more than would have been available without the changes.

“I am pleased to say that all of this money will be available to the schools of Wainuiomata,” he said.

Trevor Mallard said his decisions for Wainuiomata were now final and irrevocable. The final schooling structure would be:

- One college (Years 9 - 13) on the Parkway College site.

- One Intermediate school (Years 7 - 8) on the Parkway Intermediate site.

- Primary schools (Years 0 - 6) on the Parkway and Wainuiomata School sites, and a full primary school (Years 0 - 8) on the site of Wainuiomata Intermediate, subject to a resource consent.

- Fernlea and Arakura Schools will remain open on their current sites.

Trevor Mallard said he had great admiration for the way in which the Wainuiomata community had faced up to such a difficult issue.

“At no time has the underlying need to reduce the number of schools in the valley been questioned, and I know that the final number of schools I have now announced is strongly supported by the community.

“Some of the sites differ from those suggested earlier by the reference group. These changes were made after very careful consideration of new information, more analysis, and extensive reports from Boards of Trustees.

“The school locations having now been decided, it is time for everyone to look to the exciting prospects that lie ahead for education in our valley.”

Ends

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