'Grabbing of students' a factor in reviews

Demographic trends and factors such as whether schools are focused on "grabbing students" are behind area reviews that could lead to school closures and mergers, says Education Secretary Howard Fancy.

The Government has begun a programme of merging and closing schools, citing falling school rolls as the reason behind its reviews.

In the past year, seven areas housing 80 schools were reviewed. This financial year, 11 areas - with 183 schools - were being reviewed.

Ministry of Education group manager Kathy Smith yesterday told Parliament's education and science select committee that national demographic trends as well as local information - such as numbers of surplus classrooms and where students were going to school - determined which areas would be reviewed.

Mr Fancy said a review could also be triggered by schools wanting to change classes or "an outbreak of particularly competitive behaviour" which destabilised the area.

A review could be staged if the ministry learned schools were more focused on "grabbing students than ... on quality of education", he said.

Ms Smith said there was no "one size fits all" answer to what worked for communities and there was a range of models for areas.

In some areas, schools worked collaboratively but in others they did not and "you need to look at a future different configuration of the network".

The reviews were about ensuring quality of education was sustained into the future, Ms Smith said.

A range of figures were used but the "primary driver" behind the reviews was population projections that showed "we are going to be experiencing considerable decline".

Ministry officials were unable to give an absolute assurance that the figures it was basing its moves on were right, saying the most significant variable was migration.

It was known that the school population would decline over the next 15 years, officials said.

National's Rangitikei MP Simon Power said a review into schools in Taihape was "ripping that community to bits".

"This is not empowering consultation ... It is predetermined and driven policy for the sake of shutting down successful, little rural schools that parents are choosing to send their children to," he said.

- NZPA