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Deep divisions at Selwyn College could result in the ex-chairman of the board taking legal action over a petition which circulated about the school.
The Secretary of Education appointed special adviser Alan Burton to the warring 10-person board, which is due to meet tomorrow, before upcoming triennial board elections.
Board member Brent Williams was chair at the start of the three-year term but Dr John Hinchcliff, a co-opted member, took over about a year later.
It was unclear what legal remedy was open to Mr Williams, however it was possible the case was related to a defamation claim about a petition that was circulated around the school.
Mr Williams refused to comment yesterday and said he had to refer all media requests to the board chairman, Dr Hinchcliff.
The decile 5 school in Kohimarama, 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. A website set up late last year by a group of parents and nearby residents, dubbed Vision Selwyn, also expressed concern about the safety of students at the school.
Parent Inga Bolt said she pulled her son Bearnard Bridges out of Selwyn College two years ago because he was beaten up repeatedly there.
The school also had a following of parents that supported the current regime. Mt Wellington resident George Burrell said his family won out-of-zone ballots to other schools but he chose Selwyn College for his sons and remained happy with the decision. "Do you think I would be sending my sons to that school if it was hopeless?"
A year-13 student, who was a member of the student executive last year but didn't want to be named, said she didn't think Selwyn College needed a Government-appointed adviser. "Not a lot of students have voiced an opinion about [what has happened]."
She said students had confidence in the school academically. "We have a great principal and co-principal. I think our school is fine the way it is."
She said teachers at the school were inspirational and friendly and had good relationships with students.
"Everybody who comes here loves it. There's a whole mix of cultures and people from different backgrounds. It's a great school and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Dr Hinchcliff said the school was addressing the issue of enrolment from feeder schools through ongoing discussions with the institutions. "I think there is a bit of a concern on our part that there should be more from a couple of the schools." He believed any instances of violence were isolated and could happen at any school.
NZQA figures showed the percentage of students passing NCEA was lower in 2005 than the national average for all schools and the average for schools of the same decile. Last year's statistics were not yet available.
Some warn that such comparisons are overly simplistic. Dr Hinchcliff said students performed well academically. "We hear a lot of good things about students who go on to university that they are invariably self motivated, creative learners."
Meanwhile, Selwyn College yesterday announced it had appointed former head of mathematics Denise Edwards as deputy principal. Principal Carol White said: "Denise is... a great protagonist for the creation of environments that... attend to the needs of diverse learners and engages them more deeply in their thinking and learning. This is one of the key tenets of our work at Selwyn College."
Son moved after beating
Inga Bolt pays around $27,000 a year to send her two sons to a private school, a move prompted by her elder son being beaten up while a student at Selwyn College.
Mrs Bolt says she removed her son Bearnard Bridges from the school two years ago. When the time came for her second son to start high school she opted to send him to ACG Senior College as well.
"For some people, [Selwyn College has] been a fantastic school and that's great for them, but there really are issues," she said.
The school's academic performance, disruptions in class and limited sports programmes were factors in moving her son.
The Kohimarama resident attended Selwyn College herself and welcomed what was regarded as its "liberal" style, but says it is a different school from the one she attended in the late 1970s.
Even though her sons are no longer at the school, Mrs Bolt continues to attend the board of trustees meetings: "It's just a shambles, nothing gets done." She says the appointment of an adviser is "way overdue".
She is involved with the parents' and community group Vision Selwyn, set up last year to "build a secondary school that is the first choice for students in the community".
Principal gets vote, but ...
Selwyn College's warring board of trustees angers parent George Burrell but he still stands by the school.
Mr Burrell says his son Timothy, 15, who has an interest in languages, thrives at the college.
The family had no hesitation in sending younger son Quentin, 12, whose strengths are maths and sciences, there this year.
"They are as enthusiastic about the school as we are," says Mr Burrell.
"Do you think I would be sending my sons to that school if it was hopeless?"
He says his Mt Wellington family had won out of zone ballots for other schools but chose Selwyn College.
He is taking a wait-and-see approach to the arrival of a Secretary of Education appointed adviser to the board.
The divided board is stalling the school's development, says Mr Burrell, and wants parents to pull together.
"The solution to a 'divided board' is clear. Parents must be given the clear choice between supporting [principal] Carol White or [MP] Allan Peachey [who has been critical of the school]."
Mr Burrell, who is a member of the Ellerslie School board of trustees, says principal Carol White is "outstanding" and won his support in "no contest".
But if the community goes the other way, he will too - for the sake of the school and its students.
- Additional reporting Maggie McNaughton
