Canterbury kura expansion finally begins

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

There is a sense of relief at Waimakariri’s only Māori immersion school, as work on its expansion finally begins.

Te Kura o Tuahiwi, which sits between Kaiapoi and Rangiora, is set to receive six new classrooms and a new hall to support its growing school roll.

Board of trustees chairperson Charlie Agi said the build has taken years of planning.

Work had been due to get under way last December, but was put on hold while the Ministry of Education reviewed 352 building projects.

‘‘It has come a long way,’’ Agi said.

‘‘To see the work of past members of the board have put in to get to this point, it is amazing. It is awesome.

‘‘The board has shown some resilience to keep pushing.’’

Ministry of Education spokeswoman Sandra Orr said the new classrooms include four for roll growth and the replacement of two classrooms.

The classrooms are being manufactured offsite and will be open for the beginning of term two next year, with the hall due to open in term four.

Principal Dot Singh said the delays have been frustrating, but she is excited for her tamariki to have new classrooms.

‘‘When I came in (two years ago) we were doing the planning and then we were told they were changing the plans, and then it was going ahead - and then it stopped,’’ Singh said.

She said she then wrote a two-page letter to the ministry and to Education Minister Erica Stanford to emphasis the school’s special character.

The school is the only kura between Christchurch and Kaikōura ‘‘to meet the needs of whānau who want immersion and bilingual education’’.

The kura has a roll of 179 pupils, with another 22 already pre-enrolled for this term and the beginning of next year.

The hall is designed to hold 250 people, meaning the kura will finally be able to hold full school assemblies, prizegivings and indoor sports.
‘‘Our tamariki love basketball,’’ Singh said.

The kura regularly supports the marae across the road by hosting people on site before they are welcomed on to the marae.

‘‘When the Māori Queen visited last month, they all assembled here before they went over to the marae.’’

Having the hall will provide the option of hosting visitors indoors, and allowing sports to continue in the winter and when it is raining, she said.

Singh said the extra space will also allow the kura to offer a Te Puna Reo group (pre-school) for 4-year-olds to help them to prepare for school.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.