Last week Christchurch, New Zealand, Catholic Education office manager Mike Nolan announced St Paul's School in Dallington and Our Lady of Fatima School in Mairehau are to merge.

"The minister has agreed in principle to the formation of a new state integrated full primary school with the new name of St Francis of Assisi Catholic School."

A parent of two St Paul's pupils says the community's views had not been listened to.

"Personally I don't like the fact [that] my choice is being taken away from me . . . my choice to have a small school, a school close to my house. I know the people I've spoken to would [agree]," she said.

"St Paul's, the school and the staff, have done an awesome job looking after [the children] and our best interests but personally, I don't like the way the bishop or [Catholic Education Office manager] Mike Nolan have handled it."

Nolan said there has been "extensive community consultation" about the merger, including community meetings that started in September last year.

Bishop Barry Jones favoured the plan to merge the schools, as their parishes had already combined since the quakes, Nolan said.

"The bishop's view was pretty clear. One parish, one school, one church."

Mr Nolan says there will be another round of consultation on how best to appoint teachers and staff with the aim that the school be open for term 1 of 2016.

Click here to read about the consultation process, the report and related matters.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• nz.news.yahoo.com
• Image: The Press

The merger is to proceed and the new school will be situated in Mairehau, on the site of Our Lady of Fatima in Innes Rd.

Following the earthquakes and the red-zoning of St Paul's School the Diocese undertook a community consultation on a proposed merger.

After considering the community consultation report, the Bishop of Christchurch requested the Minister of Education to give consideration to agreeing to the provision of:

• a new state integrated full primary school entity (to be named St Francis of Assisi Catholic School),
• with a maximum roll of 495 students,
• situated on the St Francis of Assisi Parish site at 370 Innes Road,
• commencing in term 1, 2016.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has agreed in principle to Bishop Barry Jones' request.

Catholic Education Office manager Mike Nolan said the new school would receive a $6 million investment for new buildings and would have a maximum roll of 495 - "educationally a desirable number".

St Francis of Assisi is also the name chosen for the new parish formed by the merger of the St Paul's, Holy Family (Burwood) and Our Lady of Fatima (Mairehau) parishes .

Source

• The Press
• Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
• Scoop

Catholic Education Office manager Mike Nolan said classrooms at St Peter's, Christ the King, Our Lady of Assumption, St Bernadette's and St Mary's schools will have to be vacated for between 10 and 12 weeks while the repairs were done.

In February they were moved into marquees for a couple of weeks while temporary work was carried out to get the buildings to 67 per cent of the building code.

This time the diocese has obtained four portable buildings, which will be moved on to school sites to house pupils and staff while the permanent repairs were being done.

Source

• The Press
• Image: VCBC