'NZ Idol' lured pupils to rival school, says principal

Michael Murphy

Taupo's Tauhara College may have been losing pupils to the town's other high school because that was where New Zealand Idol contestant Michael Murphy went to school, says Tauhara's principal.

It is a theory not backed by the school board, nor Murphy himself, but principal Peter Grant has offered it as a reason for the college's falling roll.

The school is about to be taken over by an independent commissioner after ructions between the principal and the school board could not be resolved.

The problems developed against the backdrop of financial pressures and falling classroom numbers, and the meltdown in the school's governance was confirmed to the Herald yesterday by board chairman Ian Parata.

The news comes just two weeks before more than 500 students are due to begin their academic year at the college.

Mr Parata said the board rejected the theory of Mr Grant that Michael Murphy's stardom had led to a desire among parents to send their children to the rival school, Taupo Nui-a-Tia College.

Murphy is a former student of Taupo Nui-a-Tia, which has had a jump in student numbers at the expense of Tauhara College.

The runner-up of NZ Idol said he found it hilarious that people would sent their children to his old school based on the fact he had gone there.

"There's been heaps of high achievers from both schools," he said.

Mr Parata said the board was on the verge of being dissolved by Education Minister Steve Maharey.

The Education Ministry's regional office in Hamilton was supporting submissions that a statutory commissioner be appointed to take over the board's role, he said.

"It's not a [board] resignation. I guess it's to say that the board has been working to a plan in regards to bringing about some change within the school and its management - and it's reached the point of some frustration in regards to progress."

Mr Parata said the Michael Murphy factor did not wash with him.

While some people made "fickle" decisions about what school to send their children to, it was insulting to suggest a TV personality could sway them.

"If that was the case why aren't they flocking to Tauhara - that's where Bevan Docherty and Carly Kirkwood went."

Financial pressures and frustrations over the way the school was being run had reached breaking point.

The school was technically insolvent at the beginning of last year, but Mr Parata said the board was not aware of the situation until up to five months later.

An ERO report later found the school's management systems were in serious need of an overhaul and that there needed to be more accountability in management structures.

Mr Parata said once it was acknowledged the school was in crisis the board had formed a clear plan to arrest the dire finances, falling roll, and the poor relationship it had with its principal, Mr Grant.

The board had asked Mr Grant to review the school's management structures in an effort to force a change in the community's perception of the school.

"We've said, 'Look, we need to bring some changes'. We need to revamp the building programme and we've done that. And the second thing we needed to do was bring some changes in management.

"We instructed the principal to conduct a review, and after 10 weeks the report comes back with a recommendation which is effectively a status quo."

The board felt it was "battering its head" against Mr Grant without making any headway, so it felt the only alternative was for a commissioner to take charge.

The board had not asked Mr Grant to resign as the difference between private and public sector practices made that option too difficult, Mr Parata said.

Mr Grant declined to comment.

Mr Parata said the Tauhara school roll had dropped from 670 three years ago to "hopefully" 520 at the start of this year, meaning they expect to have about 495 students midway through this year.

A ministry spokeswoman said 26 schools out of 2500 were being managed by independent commissioners.