Secondary pupils stay at primary

Some Northland third formers will return to primary school for their first year of secondary education because of community concerns about the quality of Bay of Islands College.

The move has been brought about because of pressure from parents.

Principals at Moerewa and Kawakawa primary schools recently asked Ministry of Education officials to consider establishing "satellite" schools on-site for Year 9 students, rather than sending graduating Year 8 pupils to the college.

Parents had asked the principals to figure out a way to avoid sending their children to the college because of poor academic results and concerns about discipline and retention rates.

The ministry turned down the original proposal on December 21, but has now agreed to the idea.

The 40 students start school on Tuesday.

Kawakawa School principal Peter Witana said just 12 of the college's 111 students had passed level one NCEA in 2004, prompting an angry reaction in the community.

"That's just criminal. Those kids were absolutely pumping when they left our schools, they were wonderful children.

"Kids who have gone on to other [secondary] schools have flourished, but they go to that school and they die."

The college's roll was 83 per cent Maori in Year 9, but that figure dropped to just 17 per cent by Year 12, said Mr Witana.

Mr Witana said two extra teachers had been lined up - one for each of the schools. They were primary-trained teachers who had been working in secondary schools.

Audra Cooper, whose son Barney is due to begin in the satellite class next week, said it was a huge relief that he would be allowed to start his secondary education at the primary school.

"I just feel that for him to go to Bay of Islands College would affect his schooling dramatically at this stage.

"We tried for year 10 as well as year 9, but the ministry have said no, only the first year."

If the college showed improvement this year she would consider sending Barney to the school next year.

Education Ministry Northland manager Chris Eve agreed that NCEA results at the college had not been good, although the latest results were more encouraging, he said.

A limited statutory manager had just been appointed to help with leadership and curriculum difficulties.

Mr Eve said the ministry's u-turn on allowing the satellite schools had been influenced by several factors, including input from parents of the two primary schools.

It became obvious that significant numbers of pupils would go out of the district for their secondary education, either by staying with relatives, being sent to boarding school, or being bussed away each day.

The students at the "satellite units" would still come under the college's umbrella, so would be included in its total roll.

Bay of Islands College, at Kawakawa, has nine "feeder" schools, the two biggest at Kawakawa and Moerewa.

Ministry spokesman Vince Cholewa said there were other satellite schools nationwide, but this was the first started under these circumstances.

Moerewa principal Keri Milne-Ihimaera said that apart from the 40 students being withheld from the college this year, up to 200 more over the past year were being sent to other schools.

Newly appointed manager Barbara Judge said she would help the college with leadership, assessment practices and management, working alongside the board and principal Bruce Devine.

Mr Devine did not return calls yesterday.

Ms Judge said the ministry had recently predicted that up to 428 students were expected at the college gates next week, down from about 600 eight years ago.

Qualifications Authority data indicated 43 per cent of students at the college had passed level 1 NCEA last year, above the national average for a decile two school of 36 per cent.

In 2004, the pass rate at the college was 10.8 per cent.