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November 26, 2015
Unwelcomed minister upsets Turakina girls
Waatea Team
Posted On November 26, 2015
A member of the board of Turakina Maori Girl’s College says it’s disappointed with the behaviour of Education Minister Hekia Parata over the school’s closure.
Piri Hira Tukapua says the board addressed most of the issues raised by the Education Ministry, and was prepared to sell two school houses to bring down debt, but those submissions carried no weight with the minister.
She says the school did not expect special treatment form Ms Parata and did not get it., but it did expect her to follow tikanga and kawa.
"She couldn’t even do the simple things, so when she visited us the first time the girls wanted to powhiri her, give her a formal welcome but she said ‘No, I don’t want anyone to know I am here, this is low key, you’ve got two hours of my time so don’t waste it, let’s just get in there, talk, and I’ll be gone,’ that was pretty disappointing right from the beginning, just the way she didn’t want to do what we do," Ms Tukapua says.
The school is now focused on getting the girls through their final exams and preparing to shut the doors.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
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