Ten months after their school board was removed under allegations of an improper election process.
Followed by intervention from the Ministry of Education and a commissioner to run Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whangaroa, a new election process has finally been completed with virtually the same outcome.
According to Terry Smith, Poari Whakahaere i Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Whangaroa, “It's been a long process to meet the legislative requirements but at the end of the day, it's the same board and we'll continue with our work.”
The intervention was strongly opposed by families of the school and with the support of the National Board of Kura Kaupapa Māori Schools, the Ministry of Education was taken to the High Court, ending in an out-of-court settlement.
Mr Smith says, “We are the first family of a total immersion school to ever challenge an intervention all the way to the High Court because their management clashed with our philosophy and in the end we got a result.
Only one former board member was not available to stand again and has been replaced by a new board member.
Mr Smith says, “The Ministry of Education is making a deliberate effort to work with the Rūnanga for Kura Kaupapa to address matters to create a better understanding of our philosophy.”
The focus is now squarely back on the students and their development in the Māori world.