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St Stephens’s old boys will gather at Tatai Hono Mārae in Khyber Pass on Saturday to discuss whether the Anglican Māori boys’ boarding school can be reopened.
The school was closed more than a decade ago because of falling rolls, financial problems and an embedded culture of bullying.
MP and Tipene old boy Hone Harawira, who is on a committee looking at what is feasible, says a range of options related to Māori education need to be looked at.
But he says an inspection of the main school building and dormitories at Bombay gave cause for hope.
“The buildings are actually structurally sound. There is alot of mess, alot of bird and possum faeces and broken windows. But apart from that, structurally, the buildings look quite good so that was ok,’ he says.
Hone Harawira says Queen Victoria old girls are undergoing a similar exercise regarding their former school’s Parnell premises, and he will be consulting with other Māori boarding schools and kura about what is needed in the sector.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd
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