Whangarei principal sets up trust to address Northland children's needs

Pat Newman is frustrated at the lack of help available for Northland children so he's taken action.

The Hora Hora Primary School principal and president of the Te Tai Tokerau Principals' Association has established a trust called Te Manu Aute to address the needs of tamariki in the region and it already has two projects on the go.

A Puna Kainga (playgroup) has been established on school grounds for children who could benefit from pre-school learning, and separate to this Mr Newman is trying to raise $160,000 for a pilot to get counsellors in two Northland schools.

"Over the years we have become so frustrated at the lack of help that is available for our children in the north that we decided that we'll try do something about it ourselves."

Mr Newman said the Puna Kainga, which is funded by the Ministry of Education but managed by Hora Hora Primary School, was established to even the playing field between children starting school.

The playgroup opened for enrolments for children aged 4 to 6 yesterday.

"We get children, like any school, who come in at various stages. Some are ready for going straight into the new entrant room, some are not. Some are toilet trained, some are not. Some are able to socialise and not do the old pushing and shoving, some are not," he said.

Hora Hora Primary School principal Pat Newman said this classroom, which is not finished yet, will be where the playgroup is based. Photo / John Stone

Mr Newman said because it was a playgroup the parents would stay with their children during the sessions, which ran for four hours, four days a week.

He said the school had hired an early childhood paraprofessional and a fully trained early childhood teacher.

"If a child comes in to school and they're not ready for school, and they're not socialised for school, the teacher spends the first year teaching them how to sit on the mat and how to behave with other children and how to play with other children rather than getting on with the other aspects of learning."

Mr Newman said a van would be available to pick up parents and children. He said there would also be opportunities for children from the Puna Kainga to do activities with new-entrant children.

Meanwhile, Mr Newman is also trying to raise $160,000 for a separate pilot programme to put two therapists in two Whangarei schools for a year to assess the benefits of counselling for children.

This comes after Mr Newman did a survey where 110 Northland principals identified 1079 pupils who needed clinical psychological help to recover from horrific childhood experiences which included abuse of all kinds.

"These are the children if we don't help them now they will end up in Ngawha after hurting someone else. The trial for the counselling service is aimed at trying to show that we can stop that happening."