April 13, 2015
Hato Petera needs secure lease
Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis says the Auckland Catholic diocese needs to give Hato Petera College a long term lease of its Northcote site to encourage confidence in its future.
The Maori Catholic boarding school is fighting off what it describes as a smear campaign being run by ousted board members who are criticising the condition of the school and its hostel.
Mr Davis says the Education Review Office now says it is happy with the school’s management, its financial position and the achievement of students.
He says the diocese has only offered a five-year-lease, reviewable every year.
"Nobody is going to want to send their children to Hato Petera not knowing after five years, then four years, then three years if the school is going to continue. They need some certainty. It's a bit of a catch 22 situation. The diocese is concerned about the drop in rolls but of course the rolls are going to drop if there is no certainty into the future," he says.
Kelvin Davis says the Maori community needs to have a wider debate about whether Maori boarding schools are still needed, rather than watch them wither away.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH KELVIN DAVIS CLICK ON THE LINK
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