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Story: Country schooling

Closing small schools

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Closing small schools

This 2004 cartoon derides the closure of small schools by successive governments. The process was hastened after education reforms in 1989, and continues today. The closures particularly affect rural communities, where the school building is often also used for social events outside school hours.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: DX-005-820

by David Fletcher

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Country schooling – Years of reform: 1989 onwards, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/cartoon/16517/closing-small-schools (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 1 March 2009.

Comments

Andrew Lonergan
17 July 2022
Who was the headmaster of Dunback school during 1975 to 1990?