Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Some Canterbury schools may reopen sooner

Updated at 9:47 pm on 7 September 2010

Some schools in the earthquake-hit Canterbury region may reopen as early as Wednesday, not withstanding an earlier announcement that all schools were to remain closed until Monday.

Civil Defence regional controller John Talbot says some schools in the Waimakariri and Selwyn districts may be open, depending on decisions made by each board of trustees.

He says parents should contact their own schools for specific information.

Mr Talbot says, hoqwever, that because of concern about the structural integrity of some public buildings, all schools in the Christchurch city area will remain closed on Wednesday.

The earlier announcement came from the Ministry of Education, which said more time was needed to check that school buildings had suffered no further damage, particularly after Monday night's violent aftershock swarm.

Education Minister Anne Tolley said she had been advised by the ministry that there were still serious health and safety issues.

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