Education review on Havelock North schools opens up to public

Ministry of Education strategic network adviser Kirsty Oosterkamp at the first information and discussion session open to the public. Photo / Paul Taylor

An education review looking at the long-term plan for schooling in Havelock North and surrounding areas is now welcoming public input.

The review aims to assess the medium- and long-term population growth and roll growth and whether the existing network of schools could accommodate this growth.

It comes after the local Ministry of Education office initiated the Havelock North Area Strategy in response to anticipated population growth in November 2017.

Two events were held in March in Havelock North, where more than 50 representatives from various schools, organisations and interest groups attended.

The strategy will consider all children and young people living within Havelock North and the surrounding area including the settlements of Clive, Haumoana and Waimarama.

The outcome of the strategy is to consider what property and organisational changes may be needed to support a quality education in the future.

Te Mata School principal Michael Bain said it was refreshing the ministry was asking the community for input.

"It's quite a big change in the ministry's perspective. Hats off and kudos for the ministry for doing it."

However, he feared there was not enough information yet, particularly because they were using data from the 2013 Census. "To be truly informed, the data has to be current."

Similarly, he was unsure what the outcome will look like at the end of the review.

"Will it be a wholesale change, will it be the status quo, or will it be schooling provision changes like for instance considering junior highs and senior highs?

"If there's some major building necessary in our region is that then factored into this? So there is a little bit of unknown in where it's going."

Havelock North Intermediate parent representative Lance Dunford said it was good if the ministry was willing to listen to community views.

After yesterday's session, four more face-to-face information and discussion sessions are due to be held this month.

There are 37 early-learning providers in the area offering a range of services from 0-6 years. There are also 11 schools, including state, state-integrated, private and single-sex schools.

Katrina Casey, Ministry of Education's Deputy Secretary Sector Enablement and Support, said that in recent years there had been significant population growth within the Havelock North and surrounding areas with further urban development planned.

She said extra classrooms had been recently installed within the local schooling network, but the ministry needed a longer-term view to assess what the likely effects of future growth may be.

"Before developing the strategy, we want to hear what people have to say about education needs in this area.

"The discussion includes, among other things, how students access the local schooling network, what educational choices are available to them and property-related matters."

She said the strategy will consider all children and young people living within Havelock North and the surrounding area including the settlements of Clive, Haumoana and Waimārama.

"Our 'pop up' consultation sessions are being held over the next two to three weeks," said Casey. "These sessions are a chance for people to learn more about the education offering as well as the opportunity to give us ideas on what potential changes that could be considered within the future strategy."

New classrooms were given to Havelock North's three primary schools at the end of last year in a bid to solve future overcrowding problems.

Face-to-face information and discussion sessions:
May 9 - Lantern Gallery, Havelock North Function Centre. 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm
May 15 - Waimarama School. 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
May 16 - Haumoana School. 2pm to 4pm.
May 17 - Clive School. 2pm to 4pm.