Parents join forces to fight zone change at their school

By STUART DYE

Angry parents have petitioned the Ministry of Education over plans to cut 26 streets from an Auckland school zone.

The ministry wants to axe the streets from Papatoetoe High's catchment area. Seven are to the north above the Grange Golf Course, and 19 to the south-west.

It says the South Auckland population boom is to blame.

Papatoetoe's school roll has increased from about 1100 to more than 1800 in four years.

But parents in the affected areas say they are being shoved aside in favour of new migrants, and this is unfair.

They are angry that because of the ministry decision, their children will have to go to schools with lower socio-economic rankings.

The chairwoman of Papatoetoe High School's board of trustees, Julie Lockie, said it was a hugely emotive issue and parents were extremely upset.

People had bought houses to be in the zone, and some families' younger children would not be able to follow their elder siblings and go to the school.

"There's a great community spirit here but it's being ruined by this," said Ms Lockie.

Unlike some schools, Papatoetoe High School does not take "out-of-zoners", making it impossible for people axed from the zone to get children into their local school.

Instead, those from the Grange area will go to Otahuhu College, a decile 1 school, and children in the south-west will go to the decile 2 Aorere College. Papatoetoe High is a decile 4 school.

The school's board of trustees has told the ministry it is opposed to the plan.


It has been backed by 64 submissions from parents and two petitions with more than 600 signatures.


Papatoetoe High School principal Peter Gall said the change was significant and the controversy had been exacerbated by the short time parents were given to make their views known.

"We were told about this on June 9, when we had already begun the enrolment process for next year," he said. "And the submissions closed on August 4, giving parents just two months to have their say."

Mr Gall said the school had a redevelopment plan to cater for its growth.

"Some of these people have had generations of family come to Papatoetoe High and we like to think we are as loyal to them as they are to us."

The Education Ministry's network provision manager, Brenda Radford, said she had received lots of "impassioned pleas" to leave the Papatoetoe zone the way it is. But the ministry was unlikely to back down.

"There needs to be a change at some point and sometimes it's better to get on with it rather than prolong the agony."

It was not in the taxpayers' best interest to keep spending money on more building at Papatoetoe High when other nearby schools had ample room.

A decision is expected within a month.

Ms Radford said people had argued they were being displaced by new migrants.

"But it's a straight geographical issue. Provision for who has been there for the longest is not legislated for."