Tuesday, August 28, 2012 • Sophie Rishworth
THE shock closure of an East Coast school has left the community feeling like their township is being shut down.
Te Puia Springs School received a letter from Education Minister Hekia Parata last month to say the process of closure had begun.
Reasons for the closure, expected at the end of the year, are the declining school roll and earthquake-prone buildings.
Neighbouring Waipiro Bay School, which has a roll of four, will also close and is going through the same process.
A representative from the Ministry of Education visited the Te Puia community last Monday with a decision already made and no other options were looked at, said mother Jamie Walsh.
Parents were told the school buildings would be demolished.
The school’s roll of 12 would either be home-schooled or sent out of the district.
“It just felt that whatever we said, it was no to everything.”
There are other buildings that could be used and 16 children at the kohanga reo are waiting to be enrolled, she said.
Closest schools are at least 10 kilometres away — the options are Makarika, Hiruharama or Tokomaru Bay
Board of Trustees chairwoman Francine Gilvray said Te Puia Springs School was more than 100 years old and an icon.
The school community was strongly opposed to the Minister closing it, she said.
“We are thankful that our school’s reputation and mana remain intact, as the closure is not based on student achievement, performance, governance or finances.”
The children themselves don’t want to go either.
If there was one thing 10-year-old student Hariata Ngamoki would ask the Prime Minister if she could, it would be, “Why are you shutting our school down? What have we ever done to you?”
It is the 10th school she has been to and the thought of having to start another new school brings tears to her eyes.
“If they want to shut down the school, then we won’t know each other any more.”
The students are like one big family and there are no bullies like at other schools she had been to, she says.
Parent John Awarau said the closure was in a long line of other issues for the community.
Some of the services at Te Puia Springs Hospital were going to be shut down and council services to the area had also declined, he said.
One mother said it was about money and earthquake risk was just an excuse.
The earthquake report was not made available to the parents.
Grandmother Hine Tamati has one mokopuna at the school.
“Instead of putting our kids’ needs and education first, it sounds to me like they’re putting money first,” she said.
Mother Rachael Bellamy said she would home-school her son rather than send him out of the district.
Joanne Poi’s nine-year-old grandson Ajeandi started at the beginning of the year and has thrived in his new environment — finally getting the one-on- one attention he needs, she says.
About half the students at the school live with their grandparents so they can attend the close-knit rural school.
Two grandmothers work at the hospital next door — closure of the school would change everything and break up the community, said one.
Labour MP Moana Mackey says it is always emotional when a school closes.
“Especially in a rural area, because the school is often a hub for the community. It is where the families can gather and where events are held. It is a devastating blow for the community. All options should be looked at to try to assist the school before closure is considered.”