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New Zealand First MP Winston Peters says embattled Education Minister Hekia Parata is being used by her ministry to push through an agenda of bigger schools.
Ms Parata has announced a shake-up of Christchurch schools including closures and mergers that will affect many of the city's bilingual units and low income schools with low Māori populations.
Mr Peters says the ministry has seen the disaster of the earthquakes as an opportunity.
“Hekia has been caught up in this and hasn’t got the experiences to have seen what it is she’s doing. I think this is the beginning of the worse. they have caught themselves in the crisis situation of being able to force bigger schools and mergers and going to impose it nationwide". Mr Peters says.
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei says what's to Christchurch schools is the same predatory approach applied to New Orleans schools after Hurricane Katrina, and Ms Parata appears to have no idea of the damage she is doing to communities.
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