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National | Education

Rural school eager to get some of $91.2m budget funds

Today was perfect timing for Tumuaki Phyllis Bhana whose Te Kura Kaupapa O Te Puaha O Waikato desperately needs a makeover.

That was because the government announced $91.2 million of property funding to build and expand Māori schools.

Like many remote and rural schools across Aotearoa that are missing out on resources for their students, broken doors and rundown classrooms have been continuing issues for Puaha o Waikato kura over 19 years.

“From when I started working here, we've had broken doors and the list just goes on,” the principal says.

Bhana and the school board have made many attempts to get help from the Ministry of Education to upgrade its facility. Cracks are appearing throughout its classrooms, both in roofs and walls, which in some cases has brought in rain and revealed asbestos.

However, Bhana wants her school kept as the heart of the small community in Port Waikato.

“This facility is special to us. It is named after a Tainui waka called Winika. All our mokopuna who belong to those ancient ancestors attend here.”

But if this kind of neglect for resourcing continues, she thinks more students will leave.

This as the government talks about trying to attract people out of Auckland to the regions.

“We've never got ministry help. That's why we're having kids move away to Pukekohe and Tuakau.”