April 28, 2015
Minister leaving school in strife
New Zealand first is calling on Education Minister Hekia Parata to help out Auckland Maori boarding school Hato Petera.
Deputy leader Tracey Martin says the future of the school is uncertain because it can’t reach a long term lease agreement with the Catholic Diocese, which owns the Northcote site.
She says some of the school’s problems were caused by the Child, Youth and Family Service dumping too many troubled youth in the school, but a new principal and general manager brought it back from the tipping point.
Over the past four years they turned it round academically, and sharply reduced disciplinary incidents.
"And yet every time they seek assistance for their future the minister remains silent. When somebody makes an accusation against them the minister quickly tells people to check up on the principal and the GM, but when the school says we actually need some assistance here to come to an arrangement with the diocese the minister remains silent" she says.
Tracey Martin says Hekia Parata panders to the whims of profit-making charter schools but ignores an important Maori education institution.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH TRACEY MARTIN CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=Mjg1MDU=
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com