Schoolkids issue invite to Laws

Michael Laws. Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

The school whose pupils received an "abusing" letter from Wanganui mayor Michael Laws will invite the outspoken mayor to a meeting.

Parents of Otaki School pupils have accused Mr Laws of doing nothing more than abusing children as he points the finger of child abuse at Maoridom.

Seven pupils in the primary's immersion unit -who wanted a "h" inserted into Wanganui - wrote to Mr Laws outlining why they thought that should be the case.

In a short written reply Mr Laws told the students:

"When your class starts addressing the real issues affecting Maoridom - particularly the appalling rate of child abuse and child murder within Maori society, then I will take the rest of your views seriously."

Otaki School principal Chris Derbidge said the school will write to Mr Laws next week to invite him to the school "to meet the children and talk through some of the issues".

"I know Mr Laws has invited the kids down to Wanganui but the parents are not keen on that at all," Mr Derbidge said.

Mr Laws has said he will not travel to the school.

Celia Wihongi, mother of 11-year-old Ngarui Manukau, said Mr Laws letter to the children was petty and hypocritical.

"I think his response amounts to abuse. He's bringing up factors that the children have no control over and saying it's something they should be fixing. That's stupid. But he sees us as poor, filthy and child abusers. That's his whole view - anything outside of that he can't fathom."

Ngarui said the response hadn't put her off writing letters to politicians in the future.

Mr Laws said the letters had been demanding in nature and their angry tone had no place in correspondence written by primary pupils.

Asked if his response was abusive towards the children, Mr Laws said that was the "stupidist" thing he'd heard in 25 years.

He blamed their teacher for politicising the children without giving them the flip side of the Wanganui/Whanganui argument.

"There is nothing worse than a strong opinion that is ignorantly founded."

"My door is open to Otaki School and those kids to come through it and we'll give them the history of Wanganui and I'm sure they'll go back to Otaki being preachers that the "h" shouldn't be in there."

Iwi have been pushing for the change to the city's name and the Geographic Board is due to make a decision on the issue this month.