December 14, 2018
Tīpene vision taken to coast
A hui in the Gisborne suburb of Kaiti tomorrow will reveal more details about the proposed reopening of St Stephen’s College in 2020 and assess interest in whānau sending their tamariki there.
Hui organiser and Tīpene old boy Nathan Durie says there is huge demand for education with a Māori focus, especially for boys who have been falling behind in the mainstream model.
He’s the principal of Manukura in Palmerston North, which has a cap of 185 students and every year turns away more than 100.
He says being closed for 18 years means the planners of the new school can work with a clean slate, while still holding to the principles whānau looked for in the Māori boarding schools.
"Lots of the aspirations of the Tīpene of old, in temrs of providing this place that enables leadership, that infuses confidence and capability, is still very much apparent. The way you do that in a modern environment is different but the aspirations are still the same," Mr Durie says.
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