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The Minister of Education
has announced her final decisions for 12 schools in Christchurch.
The other 19 have until May
to finalise their fate, facing closure or a merge.
The two exceptions are the two total Maori immersion schools
who today have to submit their decision
on who will relocate.
There are 31 schools in total
affected by the Government's education renewal plans.
12 down, 19 to go.
For those 12 schools,
they're happy with the decision,
so they will now be able to move on.
For the 19 who we have yet to see their responses,
there's now time for us to sit down to consider them.
Final submissions are due today
from the 19 schools facing a merge or closure,
or relocation in the case of the total Maori immersion schools,
but neither are budging.
I haven't yet read their submissions.
But I will before commenting further.
The two kura are the only ones
who have been given the option to remain open,
but they must decide who will move or the Minister will.
At this stage, two schools have closed voluntarily
and two have merged, while the rest remain as they were.
19 today submitted their decisions for the future.
But for the two kura,
the Minister insists her interim decisions
benefit Maori students.
That's what's currently in front of them.
We need to keep in mind
that there are over 8000 Maori children in the region,
but only 400 are in kura or Maori units.
Now I'm trying to widen that out
so that more kids who want to enrol in a Kura Kaupapa Maori can do so.
Her final decision will be out in May.
Peata Melbourne, Te Karere.