Maori school decision put off

Education Minister Trevor Mallard has delayed until after the election a decision on whether to move a Maori immersion school to the Wellington suburb of Seatoun.

The proposal to move Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Mokopuna from Newtown to the former Seatoun School site outraged some residents of the affluent suburb, who feared house prices would drop and the neighbourhood's character change.

Some residents were branded racists at the time by supporters of the Maori school.

Seatoun School has moved to a new $8.3 million facility on the former Fort Dorset Army base.

Public submissions to Mr Mallard closed on May 15 and under the original proposal, the Maori immersion school was to move to Seatoun this month.

However, Mr Mallard said he had delayed his decision while officials looked at other options.

Board of trustees member Paul Snowden said the school had received a letter from Mr Mallard saying no decision would be made until after the election.

The kura has a roll of 65 students from year 1 to year 9, but that number could rise to about 100 students in a few years.

It is applying for wharekura (year 1 to 13) status.

It also has a waiting list of 10 and has outgrown its premises in Newtown.

Mr Snowden said the kura's community was disappointed with the delay in Mr Mallard's decision.

But the minister said that while he supported "this kura's need for a new school ... I'm not convinced that Seatoun is the only suitable option available."

He did not say why the Seatoun site could be unsuitable, what alternatives were being considered or when a decision would be made.

- NZPA

Full news coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/election

Election links:
The parties, policies, voting information, and more

Ask a politician:
Send us a question, on any topic, addressed to any party leader. We'll choose the best questions to put to the leaders, and publish the answers in our election coverage.