Education space set to open after years of work
It’s taken three years and lots of hard work, but Taranaki’s first Conductive Education Centre will open next month.
The Conductive Education Taranaki Trust has secured a classroom at Westown Schoolfor conductive education, a therapy that improves the quality of life for children with neuro-motor disorders.
Until now, Taranaki parents had been regularly travelling to Hamilton or Wellington so their children could attend sessions.
The Conductive Education Trust has been been fundraising for the last three years, coordinator Craig Nielsen said.
‘‘It’s a huge burden lifted from families who’ve had to travel weekly with their kids to access conductive education. We couldn’t be happier.’’
The teacher, called a conductor, is Hungarian and will be coming to New Zealand from Norway, he said. ‘‘But she has spent five years in New Zealand and is a New Zealand citizen. She understands the system and the people.
‘‘The idea is that children are inspired and encouraged to learn through music and play. We needed a place that didn’t just pay lip-service to diversity, respect and inclusiveness, but actively practised them and that’s what we found at Westown School.’’
So far 18 children have enrolled - one from Whanganui, four from Hawera, two from Stratford and the rest from New Plymouth.
Westown School principal Kim Theyers said the school had the resources to support Conductive Education Taranaki and it was a good partnership for the school.
‘‘We welcome them here with open arms.’’
TSB Community Trust grants and programme advisor Kathryn Grant said it had provided support to the Conductive Education Taranaki Trust since 2016.
‘‘To date a total of $137,330 has been granted,’’ she said.