ERO wants Northland College to get out of farming

By DANIEL JACKSON

KAIKOHE - The Education Review Office wants Northland College to stop running the college's farm because it puts the pupils' education at risk.

The college, in Kaikohe, which has about 420 students, runs a 534ha dairy, sheep and forestry property. The farm has about 270 milking cows as well as breeding stock. Last year, it made a surplus of $83,781, which lowered the school's deficit from $192,064 to $108,283.

In its report the ERO expressed concern at what would happen if the rural economy declined and the farm operated at a loss. "The drain on the school would have a marked impact on the quality of education received by students."

It said the farm posed a risk to the school and the Crown and it wanted it reviewed by the Education Ministry. The report acknowledged the farm provided quality experience and training to some students but suggested other educational providers could do this more economically.

The farm also tied up the time of the trustees, the principal, financial services and support staff.

"In many ways, the farm distracts the board from its core business - to provide high-quality education to students."

Board of Trustees chairman Warwick Syers said the farm was very profitable and contributed greatly to the educational properties of the school.

The farm had a mortgage of about $63,000 but cash reserves of more than $100,000.

"If we wanted to tomorrow, we could go and pay the mortgage off."

The farm had a fulltime manager and was run by a subcommittee of the school's board, which met once a month. Mr Syers said it did not take an excessive amount of board time.

The school had contracted a farming adviser to do a five-year plan.

Principal Jim Peters said the farm was a valuable part of the school and was one of the reasons the college was established in 1947.

"I have to seriously doubt whether the ERO team had the ability to assess the value of the farm," he said.

About a quarter of the school's students used it and the school was working with tertiary institutions to investigate how it could further develop its potential.

"One of the next stages is to look at the levels of agricultural education beyond the school and Northland," Mr Peters said.

He said the farm was in the top 10 per cent of farms in Northland for production with an estimated value of more than $1.2 million.

"When I came here in 1987 we were milking some 90 or so cows on town supply. We have gone from that to milking this year 268 to 270 cows. We believe the farm has the capacity to milk 320 cows."

If there was a downturn, the farm would cut its costs.

The ministry's Auckland office manager, Raymond Webb, said it was likely an investigation would be carried out and any decisions on its future would be made after that.

Mt Albert Grammar principal Greg Taylor said his school's farm could not be compared with Northland's as it was only about 11ha and cost little to run. The agricultural courses had become less popular, and the farm was increasingly being used for primary and preschool visits.