KEY POINTS:
A Government-appointed trouble-shooter has been sent into an Auckland secondary school to try to heal a split between the deeply divided board of trustees.
Alan Burton has been appointed as an adviser to the 10-person board at Selwyn College in Kohimarama.
The decile-5 school, which has a multicultural roll and an emphasis on the arts, is struggling to attract pupils from the wealthier sections of its zone.
It has often come under fire from some in the community who believe its liberal ethos is at the expense of its academic record.
It is understood Secretary for Education Karen Sewell made the appointment before triennial board elections, which threaten to bring the division to a head.
A statement from the school said Mr Burton had been appointed to "assist the board of trustees to effectively and collegially address a range of concerns to ensure there is greater confidence in Selwyn College throughout the community".
Board chairman John Hinchcliff said the Ministry of Education wanted to look into several specific issues.
The school draws a diverse mix of students from the wealthy suburbs of Kohimarama and Mission Bay and also the lower socio-economic Glen Innes. It has coped for several years with the dual aims of meeting the academic demands of some parents while catering for those more interested in creative arts and cultural activities.
But it has attracted criticism. The principal of feeder primary Meadowbank School said in 2005 that parents from his school looked at all options before sending their children to Selwyn. And last June, local National MP Allan Peachey wrote to the school, saying its performance was "not acceptable". Mr Peachey said last night that ministry intervention was "long overdue". The college had lost the confidence of its community and the academic record was not good enough.
He said only 41 per cent of students passed NCEA level one in 2005 compared to the average of 53 per cent at other decile-5 schools.
"Parents are looking at that and saying we cannot be confident that our children are getting the education they need," he said. "There needs to be a major shift in the way the school talks to the community and listens to what the community wants."
Dr Hinchcliff said all signs were that the roll for this year "exceeded ministry expectations", and he was not aware of any slip in academic standards.
One parent, who asked not to be named, said the school was not performing or serving its community.
Standards of behaviour and academic performance had deteriorated and many people were "incredibly unhappy".
