A teacher is accused of assaulting children at a Whangarei kura kaupapa.
The Northern Advocate believes it is in the public interest that people know these allegations are being investigated. The school - Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Rawhiti Roa - is investigating but is reluctant to talk. Principal Meri George wanted the names of parents who had called the Advocate in confidence - we declined.
It may seem contradictory for the Northern Advocate to call for the school to be open, while we refuse to disclose the names. But the parents are reluctant to be identified for fear it may impact on their children. They believe the school is keeping things too quiet and should be open with parents. They want to know more about what is going on.
The school is a public organisation that parents can have an expectation to operate with open, direct communication. Simply, it is professional to do so. And in a small community, where everyone knows everyone and is friends or whanau, it can make things difficult. Which is all the more reason for the school and its board to operate with clarity - not cloudiness.
The Northern Advocate queried the Ministry of Education as to what parents could do if they were not happy with the way the kura was operating. We were repeatedly told that the "the Board of Trustees is legally responsible for ensuring the health and safety of students".
