Anne Tolley

20 March, 2011

More schools re-open in Christchurch, ECE funding extended

Education Minister Anne Tolley says that 97 per cent of Christchurch schools are set to have re-opened by the middle of this week.

151 schools will be open tomorrow, with that figure due to rise to 157 by Wednesday.

�Schools are doing a magnificent job in making sure students can return to learning, either at their own school site or sharing a site with another school,� says Mrs Tolley.

�I�m also pleased to say that for the first time since the earthquake, the number of Christchurch students enrolled around the country has started to fall.

�More than 600 students have now returned to their original Christchurch schools, and I expect this trend to continue.�

The learning hubs set up by the Ministry, offering teaching and resources to students whose schools have yet to re-open, will continue to operate on Monday, but will be reviewed on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, 260 ECE services, 76 per cent of the total, are due to be open on Monday.

�I have decided that emergency funding for ECE services will be extended until at least the end of the month,� says Mrs Tolley.

�This means ECE centres will continue to receive funding for children who have temporarily moved away, to ensure financial stability.

�If these children are enrolled at another service in the interim, then funding will also be given to the new service.

�We will continue to do all we can to support schools and ECE services affected by the earthquake.�