New classrooms for kura

After a long wait, students at Wanganui's only Maori language secondary school will have new classrooms next year.
The $2 million new build at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Tupoho comprises two classrooms for older students, an art room, a food technology room, a hall with tukutuku panels and a new netball court, tumuaki Stuart Kawau said.
The tukutuku panels will be made by the city's kohanga reo, and staff at the Education Ministry are weaving one during their breaks.
The new buildings have been on the agenda for two years, but were delayed due to problems with land title and building consent.
They adjoin the school, on land the Education Ministry bought from Wanganui District Council last year. The purchase increased the school's site to about 3.5ha and Mr Kawau said there was room for another three classrooms should they ever be needed.
The school's total roll is 120, with 28 secondary-aged students. They have been in temporary prefab buildings for about two years, and Mr Kawau said they and their teachers were excited at the idea of having their own modern facilities.
Before the expansion could go ahead the school had three reviews, to make sure its growth was real and sustainable.
Because it was a Maori language immersion school it could only take children who had been at kohanga reo or other immersion schools.
Mr Kawau didn't want it to grow too fast. An extra five to ten pupils a year, plus retaining all existing ones, was a good amount. For the last two years this had been happening.
Before that students were often lured away to bigger schools at years 7 and 9, because big schools could offer a wider range of subjects.
For the last 18 months the school has been making alliances with bodies like UCOL, Ag Challenge and New Zealand's three wananga, to give students more choice.
There weren't enough senior students to make complete sports teams, so they were playing in the teams of other schools.
The other difficulty with maintaining the Maori language secondary school was finding teachers who could teach a range of subjects in te reo Maori, Mr Kawau said.
Students were collected from all over the city by a school bus, and one came daily from Waverley.
The kura has come a long way in its 15 years. It started on the site of Te Heti Te Kohanga Reo in 1995, with six pupils.
It got state funding in 1998 when it had 28 pupils, and moved to its present site in Cross St in 2000, using buildings refurbished from a former IHC hostel.
Secondary pupils joined the roll in 2003, based first at the vacated Sacred Heart College, then at the vacated Kiwi St School. They shifted to Cross St about two years ago.