Pupils tell Parata of pain

Central New Brighton School pupils have written to the Education Minister, Hekia Parata, after she shocked the school community last week with her intention to close the school, merging it with South New Brighton School by January 2014.

Principal Toni Burnside said she was angry that previous correspondence with the Minister indicated that the school would remain open to at least 2016. The school community will have five weeks to convince the ministry in a last ditch attempt to stop the closure.

Here are the students' letters to Ms Parata:

Dear Ms Parata,
I would really wish you would give us our three years back because you are being really mean to us. You should really be ashamed of yourself because people have just started this year. Come on lady think. How would you feel if somebody said to you that your kid's school is closing down because of the Minister of Education? Our school is one of the safest schools in Christchurch.

When we heard the news at school, most of the children were bawling their eyes out. I have a little sister and she's autistic. Last year was her first year and it was rough starting up, but this year she's OK. Now that you have said that we have to move schools we have to do this all over again. Rebekah Bradbrook, 9.

Dear Ms Parata,
I hope that you will change your mind about changing the merge from 2014 to 2016, like you first promised us. You have got the teachers, mums, dads and all family members sad but also angry. You've got the children upset as well. So just forget about the money and think about the community.
Maska Karaitana, 8.

Dear Ms Parata,
I wish that you could please give us our three years back. You promised us those years so please give us our three years back, please. We're very sad, we love our school too much. Even though I have been here one year, I love this school. And we keep promises. We're important to New Brighton. We're a school made of children, not bricks. My dad is so angry and he doesn't know what school to send me and my brother and sister to. It's the best school in the world. Come on you've got to give us another chance. We've got a big pool and a little paddling pool. Plus all my friends are here. I don't want to have to move again.

We are a stronger and more powerful school than them. Come on, it's already hard for my dad. Stop thinking about money. What if we were your children? What would you do then? We love our teachers and don't want to lose them. We have a lovely principal, we don't want to lose her either.
Marika Bateman-Orkney,10.

Dear Ms Parata,
Monday when Maska lowered the flag all I thought about was it's my first year and my last. I'm mad. I'm sad. It's the best school in the world because it has better things than other schools. Stop thinking about money and think about us. We are important. Don't take the central out of Brighton.
Kaydence Neil, 8.

Dear Ms Parata,
You promised Central New Brighton School three years until 2016. I hope you are happy because we are not. Please think about us and not you. We are angry and upset. People are struggling. Stop thinking about money, what about us? We are a good school and we don't need this.
Liam McGowan, 10.

In the school grounds we were waiting for the news about our school merging. Sadly it was true we were going to merge. I cried and cried and I was sad. I liked this school the way it was. Especially because it is small and you know everyone. Kade, 7.

I cried. My mum put us here because it is a great school. I feel sad. Trinity,7.

When I heard about the school merging I was sad and Kade was crying. I love Central New Brighton because I have heaps of friends here. I saw Maska pulling the flag down to half mast. The whole school was there. Leah, 7.

We we heard we were going to merge I cried and felt sad. It is just so so so so so sad. South New Brighton has lots of people, too many people. I don't know people there. Hayley, 7.