FROM THE NEWS DESK

This week Rexine Hawes reports on a school devastated by thieves who have targeted the place of learning twice in the past year. Te Kura o Waharoa, with 42 students, had valuable technology equipment taken, setting the school back, disappointing teachers and confusing students who are at a loss to understand why people would want to steal from a kura. The thieves are unlikely to be able to on-sell the equipment, or even use it, because some of the devices have security measures which will send an alert as soon as they are activated. It appears the school moved fast after the first break-in to upgrade its security to protect its valuable resources. I’m not sure what else it could have done to stop a second break-in. Security cameras or guards? Are we at the stage now where rural New Zealand schools have to go to extreme measures to protect their equipment? The school is backing police work to recover the rest of the equipment and ask for community to pass on any information.

Lawrence Gullery