June 09, 2015
O’Sullivan to lead Hato Petera board
The new chair of Te Whanau o Hato Petera Trust says the Maori Catholic boarding school must continue to provide spaces for vulnerable children.
Dr Lance O’Sullivan says without the school he would never have gone on to medical school.
He says he now has the experience, the skills and the energy to tackle some of the problems facing the school.
It also includes the large number of placements at the schools from the Child, Youth and Family Service, which Dr O’Sullivan says has always been a part of the school.
"If I wasn’t being beaten up by the Mongrel Mob prospect it would be a Black Power prospect but that's nothing new to schools like Hato Petera. We certainly shouldn't leave behind the vulnerable groups whether it's for health or education. We do need to bring those vulnerable groups of kids along," he says.
Dr O’Sullivan says Maori boarding schools face competition now that many Maori parents can send their children to a nearby kura kaupaoa if they want an immersive Maori experience.
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