Outrage over shortened school merger consultation

The gloves are going back on for education in the mill town of Kawerau.

The first of a series of community meetings about Kawerau Intermediate School's future was to be held tomorrow night - but now it could be the last.

On Monday the school's board of trustees received written word from Education Minister Anne Tolley that the six-month consultation period regarding a junior and senior school in Kawerau had been cut to just six weeks.

Kawerau Intermediate principal Daryl Aim is not happy.

"Mrs Tolley has said the reduced timeframe for consultation will not compromise the quality of consultation but we do not support the Minister's faith in the process," Mr Aim said.

He said information he gathered under the Official Information Act indicates the Ministry of Education has had a predetermined outcome from the outset.

"After nine months of public consultation the community has been very clear about wanting to retain intermediate schooling as an option in Kawerau," Mr Aim said. "The right of the Kawerau community to determine what they want for their children's education has been ignored through this process.

"The Minister of Education, who has not even visited Kawerau Intermediate in the nine months, seems to know what's best for the kids of Kawerau."

Mrs Tolley says in her letter to Kawerau Intermediate Board of Trustees chairwoman Trina Hayes that it would be beneficial to shorten the consultation timeframe.

"Moving to a final decision as soon as practical will allow the community to move forward with the process," Mrs Tolley wrote.

The Ministry decision regarding the merging of three of the town's primary schools was made in July and takes effect from the beginning of the 2012 school year.

"I believe any benefits previously identified in extending the consultation period into next year are outweighed by the benefits of reaching a final decision by the end of this year," she said.