School stands firm on closure

The trustees of a Northland school marked for closure have insisted they will do all they can to keep it open for their children.

While tears and farewells were seen in the playgrounds of seven other schools this week, Orauta School at Moerewa has defied a Ministry of Education edict.

School board chairman Ken Brown says local whanau have retained control of the school, and an occupation will continue until it reopens to students next year.

He said the school, now known as Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Maara o Hineamaru Ki Orauta (Maori school in the garden of our ancestor Hineamaru in Orauta), had alarms and moves by officials to enter buildings would be met with protests.

Mr Brown said the school would be run on Maori tikanga (custom) and using its own curriculum.

He said that while the parents of one child did not support the board's actions, all others were in favour.

"We are not going to give up our occupation nor possession of the school. We have control of the school assets and can now control our and our children's destiny."

He said the school's two teachers had requested severance from the Ministry of Education and would be appointed under the new structure before the school reopened next year.

The 30-child school has continued to be a thorn in the side of Education Minister Trevor Mallard, who in February announced it was to close.

In August, Orauta's board moved to set the school up as a private institution. Mr Mallard said no.

In October, it offered to buy the school and sent a cheque for $3, one dollar for each of its buildings, which was promptly returned with a warning that the group must vacate the site by January 28.

Then last month a Maori incorporation set up to manage the school's assets issued Mr Mallard with a trespass notice barring him from the school.

Mr Mallard responded by saying he had no plans to visit.

A spokeswoman for Mr Mallard said the minister would not comment as it was an "operational" issue.

Other schools to close in Northland are Te Kura o Matawaia, Te Kura o Awarua, Otiria, Towai, Ngaiotonga Valley, Helena Bay and Punaruku School.