PM opens UCOL campus

A POIGNANT silence marked the opening of Whanganui UCOL campus yesterday, for those who perished in the Mangatepopo tragedy on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Helen Clark was in Wanganui for the official opening of the campus, named by Whanganui iwi Te Matapihi ki Te Ao - The Window of Opportunity to the World.
Ken Mair stood in for iwi leader Archie Taiaroa who was to welcome the Prime Minister, and called for the silence, ahead of a speech about the mutual benefits for the local people and an institution that spelled Whanganui correctly.
Mr Mair had a message from Mr Taiaroa for the Prime Minister "in the kindest of ways" to progress the iwi's claim on the Whanganui River.
The Prime Minister responded in her speech "she would speak to Archie later". Ms Clark said the Government had invested $25 million in the project.
"This is a new model of delivering tertiary education in the regions," she said, which referred to the campus as a commons that would work alongside City College to deliver Hit the Nail on the Head in the new trades academy that would teach secondary as well as tertiary students.
The new campus will be developed over the next four years as a tertiary education multiplex involving a range of tertiary education organisations and support agencies across the Wanganui region.
It would also modernise its qualifications with distance and work place learning, Ms Clark said.
"Wanganui is lagging behind with only three percent entering tertiary education compared to 15 percent across the country.
"The Government has invested in this campus because we want to see more New Zealanders reach their potential through education and training."