Unregistered school taken to court by Govt

Parents and management at a tiny Northland school defying Ministry of Education orders to close are being taken to court by the Government.

The prosecution order comes after the Ministry of Education gave its last warning to Orauta School management and parents that they would face court action if they did not close the school and send their children to a registered school, last month.

The school, near Moerewa, defied the final warning and the ministry has now started legal action.

Management at the school now face a fine of up to $200 for each day of alleged illegal operation, which began on February 1, and parents face a fine of up to $1000.

However, Orauta School board of trustees chairman Ken Brown welcomed the prosecution as he said the primary school was operating legally under Maori laws which state Maori had a right to govern their own matters.

Orauta School is the second school in the country to face prosecution after a makeshift school was set up on a marae in the Hawke's Bay.

That allegedly illegal school is next to Raupunga School, which closed and merged with Mohaka School at the end of last year.

Mr Brown said more children had joined the school since the Ministry of Education sent warning letters to about 12 families last month, bringing the role up from around 35 to 40.

The school, which has been renamed Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Maara O Hineamaru Ki Orauta, employs two teachers who have not been receiving regular wages.

Mr Brown said a meeting will be held next week to discuss what the school will do next.

He said ministry representatives are banned from entering the school.

Ministry of Education Northland manager Chris Eve has said in the past the ministry's main concern was the quality of education the children were receiving in an unregistered school.

- NZPA