Five months have passed since the Ministry of Education ousted the board of the Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whangaroa.
But an out-of-court agreement has finally been reached after former trustees sought a judicial review of the intervention at the High Court.
Terry Smith says, “The agreement is very important for us and for the national body of Kura Kaupapa Māori because the Crown have a different perspective of the Aho Matua then we do.”
The school wrote to the Governor General, likening the Ministry of Education's intervention to the imposition of Marshall Law.
According to Nuki Aldridge, “They don't want to believe that we have a different world view and it's not the Pākehā view and from what I witnessed, when the ministry intervened here, it was like Marshall Law type and I maintain that now.”
With the support of the national body of Māori immersion schools, the dismissed board were able to take the matter to the High Court.
Under the agreement that was reached, the current commissioner will step down, a joint working group will review the ministry's intervention protocols and former board members will be able to stand in the election of a new board in the New Year.
Nuki Aldridge, “One commissioner has gone and a new one takes his place. He may have some knowledge of Māori things, but he's still a commissioner from the Pākehā world.”
It is hoped that time and understanding will be reached as to the correct protocols for this school.