Privately, there's still hope for axed school

A small Northland school marked for closure may survive as a private institution.
Orauta School, near Moerewa, was ordered to close last year as part of a Ministry of Education move to "unlock" extra resources for other Northland schools.
When the school board said it wanted the school to continue operating as a private school, the Minister of Education Trevor Mallard said he could not allow this to happen.
The 30-pupil school refused to co-operate with the ministry over the closure and a trust managing the school's assets even issued a trespass notice to Mr Mallard barring him from the school.
However, this week the school's board of trustees chairman Ken Brown - a staunch outspoken campaigner for the continuation of his school - met a Ministry of Education official to discuss how to establish his school as a private institution.
Ministry of Education Northland school reviews manager Bev Pitkethley said the meeting was "very positive" and ministry officials were to have met yesterday to discuss how to best assist the school if it chose to turn private.
The meeting suggests Mr Mallard's comment in August that he was "not prepared to consider such an option (allowing registration as private or integrated school)" may no longer apply.
Mr Brown had later said that his school did not have to register as a private school as Maori were guaranteed the right to govern their own matters (tino rangatiratanga) under the 1835 Declaration of Independence.
Mr Mallard and Mr Brown could not be contacted for comment.
Mrs Pitkethley said two conditions of a private school were that it must employ qualified teachers and have more than nine students. If the school was granted a private licence, it would be entitled to a Government subsidy.
A provisional registration could be granted in just one week, enabling Orauta School to operate legally in time for the new term on February 1.
If the school does not register as a private or integrated school and continues to run, it would be considered illegal and the school's governing body could be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, disgruntled parents at Punaruku School, another Northland school ordered to close, will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss what school to send their children to.
The Russell Peninsula school is to merge with Helena Bay School this year to form the new Whangaruru School.
However, some parents at Punaruku School are angry over the way the new school's principal, Petina Stone, was elected as her relatives were on the board that appointed her.