Lawrence Gullery
TEACHERS and pupils at Te Aute College were shocked and saddened to hear their principal had resigned on Monday and was leaving the school grounds this week, just days into the new school year.
Today pupils were performing at Waitangi Day celebrations in Clive while the Board of Trustees began
hunting for a new leader for the Central Hawke's Bay college.
Board of Trustees chairman John Tangaere said principal Tauira Takurua had spoken to him about leaving the college last week but wanted to wait until the new intake of pupils arrived.
He was unable to state why Mr Takurua wanted to leave after three years in the job.
"In his letter he's said it's just time for him to move on," Mr Tangaere said.
The college had been under pressure from the Education Review Office (ERO) to lift its performance in terms of health and safety, and its academic performance.
It was an issue Mr Tangaere said the board realised needed to be dealt with before the ERO made its next visit.
"We look forward to their next visit and they will see some changes with the recommendations that have been made."
Mr Tangaere said Mr Takurua was a young principal, who had worked hard.
"He's a very passionate and dedicated person. The board thanks him and wishes him and his family well," he said.
Finding a new principal was a priority and the board was speaking with the Ministry of Education to find a suitable replacement.
A former assistant principal of Te Aute, Wayne Rewcastle, said looking after the school was more than a nine-to-five job. Mr Rewcastle taught there for 30 years and said the principal's job was "all-consuming" and those considering the top job had to be in it for the long haul.
"It's like running a family with more than 100 kids, just putting a group of people in one hostel area, it's a very high work-load."
Mr Rewcastle, who retired as assistant principal from the college five years ago, said the principal's job was often consumed by daily matters outside the classroom, a view backed by an ERO report.
Mr Takurua did not respond to attempts to contact him at the time of publication.
