tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post4975609213402959628..comments2023-12-21T23:44:40.324+13:00Comments on Maui Street: Kawerau Intermediate protest arrivesMorgan Godferyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-82410470387958281332011-05-30T19:30:56.125+12:002011-05-30T19:30:56.125+12:00How very sad Kawerau Intermediate has come to this...How very sad Kawerau Intermediate has come to this. I remember as a foundation pupil arriving to a modern well equipped modern education environment. I formed many friendships and am very grateful for a sound education.<br /><br />so what happens to these schools when they are closed?Claire Rogersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-26638465103157138182011-05-18T10:10:39.166+12:002011-05-18T10:10:39.166+12:00Great coverage of this on Campbell Live last night...Great coverage of this on Campbell Live last night. A couple of observations: <br /><br />1. For a few hundred dollars of bus rental and accomodation, every school facing cuts or closures in the country could do this. Local marae and sympathetic schools here would put them up.<br /><br />2. Most of these kids who've been treated with such disdain by the Minister -- and others like them -- will be eligible to vote in the 2017 general election. Perhaps not such a concern for the brass -- Key, English, Brownlee et al will likely be enjoying their ambassadorial roles by then -- but it should be a concern for National's up-and-comers, including local MPs Todd McClay (Rotorua) and Simon Bridges (Tauranga). And, of course, Anne Tolley herself, who is the member for East Coast. <br /><br />LLewhttp://www.kiwipolitico.com/index.php?author=27noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-31790407052088529492011-05-18T08:13:10.467+12:002011-05-18T08:13:10.467+12:00As one of the Ministry staffers involved with the ...As one of the Ministry staffers involved with the restructuring of Kawerau schools is an ex Kawerau Principal whose children were educated in the town I have faith that the correct message would have been delivered to the Minister (although we all know that Anne Tolley does what Anne Tolley wants to do at the end of the day). Whether it is cost cutting education or strenthening education, some action is needed. As a taxpayer and Kawerau community member I see complete sense in closing schools in a town whose population has declined considerably over the years. When Daryl Aim handed over petitions to Todd McClay he stated he had done his research and according to Aim Kawerau school roll numbers stabilised after 2001 - this seems incredibly hard to believe - perhaps he would like to elaborate on school roll return numbers post 2001 to back up his statement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-74384968037066460672011-05-17T23:04:16.339+12:002011-05-17T23:04:16.339+12:00No, to the contrary of what the first writer says,...No, to the contrary of what the first writer says, Kawerau should not sit back and accept this as a done deal. Bad things happen when good people do nothing.<br /><br />The Minister’s exercise here is not about strengthening schooling in Kawerau, it is about cost cutting and making savings in expenditure. Furthermore it is about doing it in a “non blue” potion of an electorate. Sure, Kawerau is in a National electorate but it is not a National voting town, so Minister Tolley can afford to immensely piss off the locals by closing schools and it won’t affect Todd McClay’s voting numbers. There are a number of areas in New Zealand where there are empty classrooms in greater numbers than Kawerau. But they are in blue voting areas and it would be political suicide to close schools there. (c.f. Dunedin, Minister Tolley has carried out the same school closing exercise in Dunedin South – a red voting area, yet she has not touched Dunedin North – a blue voting area which has surplus classrooms in similar numbers to Dunedin South).<br /><br />Despite what Minister Tolley promulgates, most School Boards do not waste funds when maintaining surplus classrooms. The surplus classrooms are in most cases used to enhance existing classroom based programmes by providing a venue for teacher aides to work with individual students, parents to assist with reading programmes, the withdrawal of special needs students for one to one tuition, computer suites etc.<br /><br />Have the Ministry staff done their homework? If their homework was to produce an option that the Minister wants then maybe but we will probably never know. Their recommendation and advice to the Minister is not released. They could strongly advocate option B yet the Minister can go with option C, D, X, Y or Z for that matter. (The local Ministry staff are expected to increasingly be multi-taskers and often a staff member is expected to carry out work way beyond their expertise or capabilities – does an ex English or History teacher have expertise in town planning type tasks? And to what extent are they puppets to spotty faced twenty-somethings from Wellington with a Masters in Public Policy and experience in nothing?)<br /><br />The Minister’s proposed option is likely to result in two large decile 1 full primary schools in a town a long way from the Ministry of Education’s Special Education Services, no CYFS office, only one medical practice (hardworking and diligent yet over crowed), a police force that is understaffed, over stretched and usually not contactable after 4pm or in the evenings and weekends. (They Police a large area which I believe covers from Kawerau to Rotiti to Otamarakau to Edgecumbe to Te Teko and Te Mahoe)<br /><br />Large low decile schools end up with an over-whelming number of social issues. These are not large schools in the gentle leafy suburbs of New Zealand where anxious mothers enrol their children in every possible extra such as drama, dance, gymnastics, music, speech, swimming, yachting etc etc. All too often the staff of low decile schools provide in a de-facto way considerable social support required by their students.<br /><br />The proposed structure of two large full-primary schools will not enhance education nor strengthen it in Kawerau. There is no way those schools can (despite every good intention and effort) deliver what the Kawerau Intermediate currently does.<br /><br />If the Ministers plan proceeds then both Kawerau South and Putauaki School are predicted to have rolls in excess of their current capacity. Yet there has been neither planning nor provision for new property. The Minister wants her brave new plan to start at the beginning of 2012. Somehow I can’t see the required new buildings, staffing or resources put in place by then. Parents can expect to be very disappointed with the Minister (not the schools) when their child ends up in an over crowded classroom at the start of 2012.<br /><br />It’s about time that the Minister is honest with the public. Her folly is about cost cutting education, not strengthening education in Kawerau.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-66521463652223211062011-05-17T21:14:47.191+12:002011-05-17T21:14:47.191+12:00Maybe a reason the intermediate is getting such st...Maybe a reason the intermediate is getting such strong support is that it delivers really good education for the children. Perhaps the Intermediate could become a form 1-4 school with the High School doing forms 5-7. The excellent work being done at the intermediate could continue as far up as form 4. Maybe that was what Aim was stating when he talked about a merger.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-80551359495716857312011-05-17T17:17:40.946+12:002011-05-17T17:17:40.946+12:00All Kawerau community members realise that the tow...All Kawerau community members realise that the town cannot sustain the number of schools currently present. The Intermediate is not the only loser in this equation, so too are Kawerau North & Kawerau Central schools. If the Minister had chosen another option then Putauaki Full Primary school would have lost students, along with Kawerau North & Central. Is Daryl Aim not the same Principal that shortly after beginning his role at Kawerau Intermediate called a series of public hui to suggest merging the Intermediate with the College? <br />I am sure the Ministry staff have done their homework within Kawerau - the population demographic will not sustain a stand alone Intermediate school. The reason the Intermediate received so much support in their petition is down to the emotional ties many residents have to the school. <br />Whatever option the Minister chose was always going to result in negative impact to some students and staff. Community members need to admit the town cannot support the current number of schools, accept the Minister's decision and lets get behind our remaining schools as best we can.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com