Calls for Another Minister To Take Decision on Future

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MEDIA RELEASE

WEDNESDAY 12 DECEMBER

Salisbury calls for Another Minister To Take Decision On Their Future

The Salisbury Board of Trustees is pleased that the Minister of Education has confirmed that the school will remain open for 2013, however, they are calling for another Minister to take decisions on the future of the School beyond that.

Salisbury Board Chair Helen McDonnell has said that the Board is seriously concerned that the Minister of Education will not have an open mind in any decision about the school’s future.

“The Minister of Education said in the House today that Salisbury suggested a co-educational option on its site,” McDonnell says. “That is simply not true – we have been adamantly against a co-educational residential option from the time she announced this for Halswell Residential School. We suggested the possibility of two completely separate single sex schools on one large site of land, but certainly not a co-educational facility. If the Minister did not listen to us or read our submissions previously, then why should we believe she will listen to us when she considers any decision about our future.

“For a fair and legal process, we believe another Minister should be appointed to continue this decision -making process,” she says. “The Ministry of Education have been recommending Halswell as a co-educational site since May 2011, if not before, so we do not have any confidence that they will advise the Minister to seriously consider that Salisbury remains open after 2013.

“We do not believe the Minister intends to retain Salisbury after 2014; her views, and those of her Ministry’s, are clearly pre-determined. Therefore, we call on the Government to appoint another Minister to take any decisions considered to be necessary.

ENDS

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