Stuff.co.nz - ANDREA VANCE - 04/09/2013
MUCH-LOVED: Famous Kiwi authors, including Margaret Mahy and Witi Ihimaera, wrote for the School Journal.
Learning Media has produced the reading tool - familiar to generations of Kiwis - and other education resources for the last 79 years. It employs 109 staff, including editors, designers, project managers and software programmers.
The Government is winding up the firm because annual revenue has fallen by a quarter.
Finance Minister Bill English and Education Minister Hekia Parata announced the decision this morning, saying it is not "financially viable".
A statement from Learning Media chair Jenn Bestwick confirmed the board has agreed with ministers that "the company does not have a viable on-going business".
English said the firm had tried to restructure and adapt "to the more competitive government contracting environment".
"We are disappointed that Learning Media has come to this situation," he said.
Parata said the Government will work with staff to "ensure their skills and capabilities remain available to the education sector".
"Decisions on what will happen to the company's current assets, including its educational resources, will be made as part of the wind down process," she said.
Bestwick blamed challenging market conditions.
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4 comments:
Started the day feeling very pleased about the news of Rachael King's appointment as new Literary Director of the Chch Writers' Festival Trust. Now feeling just heartsick at this latest news. Learning Media were amazing because they took the time to nurture new writers and illustrators,but that obviously wasn't a profit making exercise. I'm one of the many writers who have benefited over the years from the help, encouragement and expertise of the wonderful SJ editors.
I agree Philippa, this is a very very sad day indeed.
The contribution of the SCHOOL JOURNAL to the art and literature of New Zealand has been priceless, profound and ongoing. Not only is the mothballing of Learning Media a tragedy for the children of this country, it is a huge loss for the cultural community, and for all thinking and feeling citizens of a country that, alas, seems willing to jettison its taonga the moment their 'profitability' is in question. The real benefit of the School Journal becomes clear when you study the 106 year history of the Journal, not when you add up the figures from the past year, or even five years. It becomes clear when you look at how integral it has been, decade by decade, in the development of New Zealand society. The School Journal is one of the great educational periodicals to emerge anywhere in the world, ever. That is a fact. What heartless, mindless spiritless people we are if we let it go.
How could anyone not see this, it's a disaster for New Zealand children, their pride in who they are, their sense of place , their sense of identity and ultimately their literacy - both their everyday literacy and their cultural literacy.
How can it be decreed that Learning Media is no longer profitable when what has caused this is the lack of support of the governement and Ministry Of so called Education?
Bookbrainz
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