June 15, 2015
Kohanga board rejects reform
The board of Kohanga Reo National Trust has squared off with Education Minister Hekia Parata over the movement’s Waitangi Tribunal report.
Ms Parata yesterday ruled out resuming talks on a settlement until the organisation reforms its governance structure.
She stopped talking 18 months ago after calling in the Serious Fraud Office to investigate allegations about misspending at the trust, and then gave the organisation time to come up with a board that was accountable to members and did not include lifetime appointments.
Board co-chair Tina Olsen Ratana says the movement has changed its systems in response to internal and external reviews, but whanau around the country want the five current trustees to stay in place until a settlement is reached.
"On one hand I see the minister saying this is for the board and the movement to work out. Well, the movement has worked it out. She just doesn’t like it," she says.
Tina Olsen Ratana blamed government policies including those of Ms Parata for a 50 percent fall in the number of kohanga reo over the past decade.
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