Plenty of questions yet to be answered

There were always going to be winners and losers in the decision to allow Wanganui Collegiate to integrate into the state system.

A lot has been riding on this decision, which perhaps explains why it has taken so long to arrive; even Education Minister Hekia Parata described it as a difficult and drawn-out process.

Had the decision gone the other way, the ramifications for the city and wider region had the potential to be catastrophic.

Wanganui Collegiate is known to contribute in the tens of millions of dollars economically and the reputational gains from having the school here are impossible to quantify but no less important.

Now we know Collegiate is safe, and the decision to allow integration will maintain a proud educational history that dates back more than 150 years.

But there are still questions and doubts around the future of secondary schooling in Wanganui.

There are about three months until the new school year when Collegiate must open its doors to the public. In order to establish funding levels, rolls must be considered. We do not at this point know what the likely roll will be at the Collegiate of the state era, or what impact that will have on other schools. Authorities may have to resort to reconsidering the city's zoning in order to provide equity of access to those who can afford the fees the school is allowed to charge to cover costs associated with its buildings.

It remains for the school to advertise its new rates, and explain what its new roll capacity will be. The ministry, too, has much to explain, like how this will impact on the city's other secondary schools and their funding and long-term viability.

What was perhaps most odd about yesterday's announcement was the muted delivery and reaction. Collegiate's leaders, who you would imagine want to celebrate this announcement, became very shy, referring inquiries to an Auckland-based media consultant. A photo request was declined, as was an interview request. The only information that could be gleaned came by way of a prepared media release.

Our local MP, who likewise we might have expected to be shouting about his role in this great result for his electorate, went strangely silent. Chester Borrows had previously described provision of secondary schooling and zoning policy in Wanganui as a mess and "the configuration of secondary schools in Wanganui needs review in the future".

One wonders how this latest development might change that view.

The minister herself was reserved in announcing the decision, which was done not in person on-site at a media conference but through a press release.

It leads one to suspicion that the Government was keen to keep the announcement low-key to avoid fallout of double standards over the closure of residential special schools and the Christchurch education shakeup.

While there is much to be thankful for in yesterday's announcement, there are still doubts and unallayed suspicions about how an integrated Collegiate will work and what that means for the secondary sector in Wanganui. Wholesale celebrations might be premature.

It would seem that in this instance the silence may well speak louder than the rhetoric offered through sterile press releases. Feedback:

editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz