October 05, 2023
Government cash sought for Tipene reopening
The St Stephens Old Boys’ Association is frustrated it hasn’t been able to get Government support for its plan to reopen the historic Maori boarding school.
Spokesperson Te Kani Kingi says project leaders have tried unsuccessfully since 2019 to meet with associate education minister Kelvin Davis.
The school is set to reopen next February under the leadership of educationists Nathan Durie and Yvette McCausland-Durie, but Dr Kingi says its funding is still up in the air.
“If the application isn’t approved, the school will be forced to go private. The end result is Maori whanau, Maori parents will be required to pay more for the education of their children,” he says.
He says the delays are hugely disappointing.