Warning bells for boarding schools with Turakina end

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox says the closure of Turakina Maori Girls’ School highlights the need for concerted action to prevent other Maori boarding schools also going down.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says financial information given during two rounds of consultation didn’t give her confidence the Proprietor could clear the debts of the state-integrated Presbyterian school.

The roll was now just 47, down from 153 in 2003, and there were also concerns about governance.

Ms Fox says the school was unable to attract the students it needed to keep it alive.

Other schools including Hato Petera, Te Aute and Hukarere are also struggling.

"There is still a big story around Maori boarding schools and what are we going to do and if we do nothing as in the case of Turakina, if those funds are not invested into modernising the facilities, this could be the story of more Maori boarding schools around the country and something absolutely needs to be done," Ms Fox says.

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