Change of status dream come true for kura
Nga¯ti Haua¯ kaumatua Rewi Rapana couldn’t wait to see the day, when the aspirations of his tu¯puna were realised for Te Kura o¯ Nga¯ti Haua¯.
That day came recently as kura staff, students both past and present, Ministry of Education representatives and Nga¯ti Haua¯ came together to celebrate the school’s change of status from a state to special character school or Kura a¯ Iwi.
As part of the milsetone, a new entranceway was unveiled before the formalities. The entranceway, completed by six, Year 8 students, with the guidance of art tutors from the ArtMakers group, was a depiction of the past, present and future.
Artist Romai Rangihau, 12, said he was proud to be part of the group who painted the entranceway and learnt a lot about his iwi Nga¯ti Haua¯ and how that could be captured with art.
In 1955, Nga¯ti Haua¯ Native School was established at the foot of Pukemoremore mountain between Tauwhare and Cambridge. In the 1970s, it became a state school and with dwindling numbers, the kura faced the possibility of being closed down for many years.
Now with a roll of 60 pupils, the kura is in a strong position for the future. The school included pupils from Cambridge, Morrinsville and Hamilton.
Kaumatua Rewi Rapana spoke of the aspirations of his predecessors and how those dreams had been realised with the change of status.
‘‘We have waited for this day to come. If our language and our protocols are taught to our tamariki, our people will thrive.’’
With a strong focus on tikanga Ma¯ori, protocols and te reo, linking back to the proud history of Nga¯ti Haua¯, principal Tina Poi and staff have been instrumental in re-establishing a positive and constructive relationship with Nga¯ti Haua¯, kuia and koroua, and with other kura.
Poi said thanks to Ministry of Education Ma¯ori liaison officer Lillian Pompey, a process that usually takes at least 12 months was cut to 10.
A character school is established under the Education Act. It is a state school that has a particular character which sets it apart from ordinary state schools and kura kaupapa Ma¯ori. The only students who may enrol at a character school are those whose parents accept the particular character of the school.