Report to assess rival schools

A report is being prepared for the Education Minister after concerns were raised that the presence of two similar character schools in Palmerston North was splitting the Maori community and wasting taxpayer money.

Brothers Nathan and Ra Durie, co- founders of Tu Toa, went separate ways last year after a 10- year partnership running the school.

Parents, teachers and the school’s stakeholders had been divided on how Tu Toa was being run based on ‘‘ philosophical differences’’.

This led to Nathan Durie, and his wife Yvette McCausland- Durie, along with other members from the school’s educational leadership, leaving Tu Toa and setting up a school called Manukura.

The Tu Toa Charitable Trust, chaired by the brothers’ uncle Sir Mason Durie, is aligned with Manukura.

Manukura is a satellite of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rito in Otaki and is based at the old Tu Toa site near the Hokowhitu Lagoon in Centennial Drive.

Tu Toa, now called Tai WanagaTu Toa, is based on Staces Rd in Aokautere and is run as a satellite campus of the larger Tai Wananga hub in Hamilton – Tai Wananga is a branch of the national Maori education organisation Te Wananga o Aotearoa.

Neither are standalone schools, with the Ministry of Education providing between $ 400,000 and $ 600,000 net in operational funding for the schools through their base providers.

Ra Durie, who is affiliated with Tai Wanaga- Tu Toa, wrote to the Minister of Education Hekia Parata this week outlining concerns that having two schools of similar ‘‘ special character’’ had negative effects on Manawatu’s Maori students.

Teaching and school resources were being spread thin over two sites, he said.

‘‘ At the end of the day both schools will be competing for the same pool of students at a detriment to both the sporting and educational aspirations of those children,’’ he said.

Yvette McCausland- Durie, who is part of a four- person leadership team running Manukura, said there had been tensions since the split, but the motivation to set up Manukura was driven by different educational philosophies on ranking sporting success and academic achievement.

Manukura favoured building platform for careers over podium finishes, she said.

As a result of the split Manukura had more managerial autonomy and the school community had more collegiality, she said.

It wasn’t a contest for students or about splitting resources, but offering choice to Manawatu’s Maori community, she said.

A spokeswoman for Parata said Ra Durie’s letter would be responded to in due course.

In the meantime it would be dealt with by the Ministry of Education because it was concerning ‘‘ operational issues’’.

Ministry head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said it was working on a report for Parata that would consider the merits of Manukura being considered a standalone designated character school.

Schools determine their own character and there was no requirement them to differ from existing educational providers in the area, she said.