Turakina Māori Girls’ College to close

  • Hekia Parata
Education

Education Minister Hon Hekia Parata has announced that Turakina Māori Girls’ College will close on 27 January 2016.

The decision follows a second round of consultation about the state-integrated Presbyterian Māori girls’ boarding school during which two submissions were received.

“There’s a great deal of goodwill towards the school and I am saddened about having to make this decision. However, the financial information provided in both consultation periods doesn’t give me confidence that the Proprietor is able to clear its debt and become financially viable,” says Ms Parata.

Despite efforts to grow its roll, the number of students at Turakina has dropped from 152 in 2003 to about 47 today. As well as the Proprietor’s dire financial situation, the school has had ongoing governance issues and a Ministry-appointed Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) has been in place since late 2012.

 “The Ministry of Education will now focus its efforts on working with the remaining students at Turakina and their whānau to find suitable schooling for 2016. The Ministry will ensure every student is supported to transition successfully to a new school. 

 “While I know that my decision will not be what many in the wider school community would have wanted to hear, it should not come as a surprise. The struggles have been ongoing for some time. This announcement will give whanau certainty to plan for next year,” says Ms Parata.

A change manager and a residual agent will be appointed by the Ministry to support the Proprietor and the Board of Trustees through the closure process.

The Ministry’s advice on the decision can be found here.