The Education Minister says she is surprised and disappointed the Christchurch City Council is calling for her to slow down the restructuring of the city's schools.
The council has voted unanimously to write to Hekia Parata criticising the Ministry of Education's handling of the process and demanding that she delay closures and mergers planned for the start of 2014.
Mrs Parata says she is surprised by the council's decision, because until now it has not made any submissions or comment on the Government's plans.
Those plans include the closure of seven schools and the merger of 10 others into five. Two others have already agreed to merge.
Mrs Parata is expected to announce the schools' futures soon and says she has no intention of slowing down the process.
Also expected shortly is an interim decision on a plan to merge five schools in Aranui into a single entity.
