Editorial: Kids achieving in substandard rooms

Bay of Islands College seems worse than Northland College.

Northland College has a rival competing for the various school building categories that start with "worst".

Bay of Islands College in Kawakawa.

Teachers, students and school staff are working and learning in an environment that is an embarrassment to modern education.

There has to be some culpability on the school's management, which has had its challenges. It has previously been under statutory management, and a past principal was found to have been unjustifiably dismissed. He was not reinstated by the employment court due to "dysfunctional relationships" involving himself, the board and the community.

John Paitai started as the new principal in 2013 and admits to being surprised by the state of the school's buildings.

He says it is unfair that students are learning in substandard classrooms. Some buildings are so bad they have been locked up.

There is money coming - the rotting gym will be rebuilt and there is $1.4 million to put toward other buildings.

The school also has a vandalism issue. Well, if the people running the school let it fall into disrepair, vandals aren't going to respect it.

Yet the NCEA results are good, says Mr Paitai; 76.3 per cent of students achieved Level 2 last year.

The money is coming to fix the buildings, but it has taken far too long to get here.

About 90 per cent of Bay of Island's College kids are Maori. Who has failed them?

As mentioned, management has failed the school. And so have the parents who failed to care - do they or the community not think their kids deserve better? Those that do care, and have fought and lobbied for the funds to fix things, congratulations.

And yes, the "system" has failed.

It is disgusting that Northland children are learning in conditions that most right minded people would not tolerate at home.