Staff left ‘reeling’ as school’s closure announced
Ha¯ wera Intermediate School is to close at the end of 2022 following a decision by the Ministry of Education to change the way education is delivered in the town.
Staff were informed of the decision at a meeting yesterday morning.
Families were given the news via notices and the school’s website, and the 300 students were told in the afternoon, principal Neryda Sullivan said.
Although the news had been expected, it was a shock as the closure is much sooner than anticipated, especially given the process has taken so long, Sullivan said.
‘‘It was pretty finite. We have a staff of 31 and some of these people have gone into new business ventures. There are mortgages and family commitments ... they’re reeling from it, although they knew it was coming.’’
Representatives from education workers union NZEI Te Riu Roa would meet with intermediate staff next week, and counselling was being offered to those who wanted it. The announcement follows years of discussion on the future of education in the town following a fire at the intermediate in 2015 and major rebuilding work needed at Ha¯ wera High School. Yesterday, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins announced a final round of consultation with the boards of both schools, and the six contributing primary schools, on two proposals. Proposal A would see the contributing primary schools become full primary schools (year 1-8). Proposal B would see primary schools remain as they are and a new year 7-13 school set up. This could mean the merger of Ha¯wera High School with the intermediate from the start of 2023 on the high school’s current site.
Or the high school could close as well, with an entirely new school opening on its site from 2023. This is option favoured by both the intermediate and high school principals and their boards of trustees.
‘‘If we’re going to establish a new school, we will have a lot of community input on what they want in their school and a lot of iwi input,’’ Sullivan said.
‘‘Our preference is to close both the intermediate and high school, that would preserve the mana of both schools,’’ Ha¯ wera High School principal Rachel Williams said. ‘‘It’s an amazing opportunity to be involved from the ground up. It will be exciting.
‘‘We would work together with the community to open a new school that is fit for purpose for all our students. It’s a unique opportunity.
‘‘Not many communities get this opportunity to do a reset.’’
Whatever option is chosen, they would push for better provision of tertiary study in the town, which is an hour’s travel away from both New Plymouth and Whanganui.
This is a significant barrier for many students juggling travel and part-time work with their study, Williams said.
Affected schools have until July to consult their communities and make submissions and the minister will make a final decision in September.
A decision needs to be made by then to provide certainty for staff and the two schools, which are already struggling to find relieving staff because of a nationwide shortage, Williams said.
‘‘We would work together with the community to open a new school that is fit for purpose for all our students.’’
Rachel Williams
Ha¯wera High School principal