Quakes Sat 8th Sept 2012

[TonyC]

    Public Id: 2012p677685
    NZST: Saturday, September 8 2012 at 5:50:52 am
    Intensity: light
    Depth: 14 km
    Magnitude: 3.1
    Location: 40 km east of Auckland

Public Id: 2012p677303
NZST: Saturday, September 8 2012 at 2:27:01 am
Intensity: light
Depth: 0 km
Magnitude: 3.0
Location: 40 km east of Milford Sound

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[Suezy]

Student numbers remain in freefall, teacher jobs to go
TINA LAW
Last updated 05:00 08/09/2012

Christchurch principals are bracing themselves for another round of staff cuts as pupil numbers at some schools continue to fall.

Schools in the city lost the equivalent of 167 fulltime teachers last year, after about 3500 pupils left the city following the earthquakes and did not return.

The Ministry of Education says it does not know how many teaching jobs will be lost at the end of this year, but some principals are expecting to have their staff numbers cut further.

All schools will find out next week how many staff the ministry will fund them to employ next year. The entitlements are based on a school's roll on July 1 this year.

However, The Press understands schools that will experience a drop have received a phone call from ministry staff.

Avondale School principal Mark Scown said he received a call from the ministry last week, because his roll had fallen by 27 pupils in the past year.

Scown said he had already signalled to staff job cuts were likely again this year, but he did not want to say what the exact figure was until he received confirmation from the ministry.

The school has about 340 pupils; before the quake it had more than 500.

Scown said he expected the school's roll to remain at its existing low level for the next few years and at least until nearby Housing New Zealand homes were repaired.

"I don't see us getting back into the 500s again in my lifetime."

Canterbury Primary Principals' Association president John Bangma said that some schools were still experiencing the loss of a family a week, as the full impact of the residential red zone had yet to hit in some areas.

Banks Avenue School principal Murray Edlin said he had done his own calculations and the school would probably have to cut staff, but he was not sure of the exact numbers.

"We're working with the staff to help them all with the stress around not knowing about their employment for next year."

Since the February quake the school's roll has fallen by about 200 pupils to 414.

Last year the school received funding for three fewer teachers, which was covered by fixed-term positions ending.

Wainoni School principal Kym Wells said the school's roll had been stable, but she was told by the ministry last week it would have to reduce staff by half a teacher.

The school still had staff working in fixed-term positions, but she would talk to the board about how they would manage the drop.

- © Fairfax NZ News
Copied from The Press

[Mark]

Suezy it's very sad to see all those people leave Christchurch.
I think it will take many years for the schools to recover from the children that left because of the earthquakes.
Suezy did you see in the press today about the roading plans for Christchurch.
They the city council are going to spend 50 million per month to fix the citys roads and water supply pipes by the end of 2016.

[Suezy]

Mark - yes I purchased the paper but cant read it yet - put aside till I am allowed to get glasses which they (being the optromists) wont give me at the moment.  Hopefully within the month and will certainly be reading a lot that I have saved to read.  I can read what they put on the front page of the Press on the computer - but that wasn't on it.
Yes it is terrible the children and parents that have left our city - but a lot of them have also moved out this way to the West -  Rolleston, and further afield like Glentunnel, Coalgate, Darfield etc not counting the ones that have gone to Rangiora and out that way too, which of course is different counties and in different areas for the counting. Like SDC the Waimak even Ashburton.  I do know that a lot have moved to Blenheim too.
You woiuld not believe the subdivisions that are going up at Rangiora and here we have two further down Weedons Ross Road and further ones going to be developed.
When we moved out here it was like a very small village with one country bowser, community centre a pub and two churches and a sports ground plus an excellent primary school and a preschool centre.  We now have a large BP bowser 25 shops going to be put up (consents been approved) and the sports ground enlargement and another preschool opened. It is quite sad for us as just loved the smallness of the district but we have to move on I suppose.
Rolleston is now massive and had one grocery store New World and a big Countdown has now opened plus there is also a Warehouse there too plus other smaller shops.  The subdivisions are all advertising and just waiting for the people to build.  The SDC have changed the land zoning on so many of the farm land there too. In a couple of years time Rolleston will be massive.
I am sure that the teachers that are to loose their jobs will be accommodated out this way or over the river at Rangiora etc and sure that just so many people have moved that way too from what I hear.  It is the ones that have left the city and eastern districts for good that are the worry = but when the talley comes out again we may find that the total is not quite what they say in the previous papers.
It is the CBD that is really disconcerting as so many of them now are building in Addington and more out towards the airport way that means they will not go back to the CBD.  It has taken such a long length of time for them to decide what they are going to do there that people have had to make other arrangements - which they have.
Personally  the city was not very active prior to the quakes anyway - with the partking meters which were not friendly or the wardens - the lack of parking unless miles from where you wanted to go to etc and now they are trying to encourage people to use bicycles in there!!!!!  Crazy idea.  Oh well it really wont worry me as by the time they decide what they will finally do and get themselves organized I will be pushing up daisies - as it is years away yet.