School gets more time over Lucy enrolment

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

The Ministry of Education is trying to avoid a showdown with Tauranga's Bellevue Primary over an ultimatum that the school take a special needs student, 6-year-old Lucy Wright.

After failing to meet Tuesday's deadline, Bellevue was told on Wednesday that it would lose its authority to enrol students, and a ministry official would be brought in to handle enrolments.

Yesterday, the ministry's central north region manager, John Tait, said that only Minister of Education Trevor Mallard could remove the school's powers. He was overseas and had not yet signed the papers.

"It is not a fait accompli," said Mr Tait. "We are hoping we can work through this with the school so there is no need for it to happen."

Asked what negotiations had been held with Bellevue, he said they would be done "when we can and as we can - but it is urgent".

The papers would be on Mr Mallard's desk for a final decision on his return early next week, said Mr Tait.

Mr Mallard issued a warning in a statement to the Bay of Plenty Times a week ago that if Bellevue Primary refused to enrol Lucy it would be in breach of the Education Act and he would use his ministerial powers to force the school to do so.

Act deputy leader Ken Shirley said Bellevue's board was seeking "legitimate answers" from the ministry on why it was being directed to enrol Lucy when she had already attended two other schools.