Back to school: Kura on outskirts of Northland has highest percentage roll growth

It's back to school in Northland - so what do our predicted rolls look like? Photo / 123 rf

The Northland school year is nearly in full swing and education reporter Brodie Stone has got the news covered. Today’s story is about school rolls.

On the border of Northland in rural Oruawharo sits a Kaupapa Māori School which has the highest percentage of roll growth in the region.

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori Ngaringaomatariki, named after the seven significant ancestral pā in the area, is the only Māori language immersion school in the Kaipara district. It caters for students Years 1 to 8.

Its standalone status combined with significant in zone roll growth due to a population boost has seen its roll expand by 46 per cent. The Ministry of Education said the school’s size made the roll growth more prominent.

As of July 2023, there were 51 Māori students enrolled at the kura but principal Reno Skipper told RNZ last year that he wanted the kura to have a roll of at least 250.

There were plans for the school to move further south to Kaiwaka which RNZ reported reflected a growing interest in Māori education.

Kaipara District councillor Pera Paniora told the Advocate having kura kaupapa in the area was important. She said it is the only Ngāti Whātua Kura in New Zealand and has a “huge wait list”.

Pera believed relocating part of the kura to Kaiwaka would allow for more growth and future opportunities for adult learners and be of “huge benefit” to the district.

Currently, the kura only caters for up to Year 8 and Pera said there have been cases of whānau uprooting their whole lives so their tamariki can progress through their schooling.

“Education is key for everyone and so the more places we can educate children as close to home and their families the better.”

The Ministry of Education data showed Northland schools could expect an additional 226 students this year.

The schools with the highest number of individual student increases are typically high schools, which due to the larger size of these schools are 3 to 4 per cent changes, a Ministry of Education spokesperson said.

Whangārei Girls’ High School (WGHS) had the second-highest roll in 2023 just behind Kerikeri High School.

WGHS principal Sonya Lockyer said her school had new students enrolled at every level this year.

“We’ve got a large cohort coming into Year 9 and our biggest lot of international students in a while.

“Parents have the choice of choosing the school that best suits the needs of their students,” Lockyer said.

WGHS was expecting 37 international students in term one.

Brodie Stone is the education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.