Photo by Craig Baxter.
The school at the Roxburgh Health Camp will close on
January 27, with nine staff being made redundant. It will be
replaced by a new education service, under a different
structure.
It is now a state school, operating under the Ministry of
Education with a board of trustees, but that will change next
year.
Te Puna Whaiora Children's Health Camps chief executive Fiona
Inkpen confirmed yesterday the health camp organisation would
be taking over the education contract for five of the
country's health camp schools, including the Roxburgh camp
school. The Ministry of Education had formally offered the
organisation the opportunity to enter into a contract, she
said.
The health camp has already advertised for teachers and
learning support staff to take up education roles next year.
However, a Ministry of Education spokesman said yesterday the
ministry could not confirm the new provider of education
services at the health camps, as the tender process was
ongoing.
Dr Inkpen said it was important to note the change was in no
way a reflection on what had been a high-quality education
service provided by the Roxburgh camp school.
Education Minister Anne Tolley said the change followed a
review of health camps and the new system would improve the
way education was delivered to health camp children.
The Roxburgh, Northland, Pakuranga, Otaki and Glenelg
(Christchurch) health camp schools would close on January 27
in their current form and re-open the same day under the
changed governance structure, she said.
Approached by the Otago Daily Times for comment, camp school
board chairwoman Bernadette Hannagan, of Dunedin, said the
board was disappointed with the ministry's decision.
"It's difficult to reconcile our excellent ERO [Education
Review Office] report, and the service currently provided,
with that decision."
The board had consulted widely with other schools in Otago
and Southland and education psychologists and all had backed
the board's desire to keep the school open.
Nine people were employed by the health camp school - seven
of them permanent roles - and, in some instances, their
service to the health camp spanned 20 years. They included
teachers, teacher aids and support staff.
"All of them are part of the fabric of the local community,"
Mrs Hannagan said.
She had the utmost respect for their work and believed their
experience and their skills would be sought after.
It was important to note that there would not be a simple
"transfer of staff" from one service to another, she said.
The new roles had been advertised and were outside the state
education sector.
Dr Inkpen said there would be "no drop in the service"
provided for the Otago and Southland area. The new education
service would still feature registered teachers teaching the
New Zealand curriculum.
Existing staff were welcome to apply for the roles available
and she was hopeful there would be a similar number of
teaching roles to the present number but said some support
positions might cease to exist, being absorbed into the
overall health camp staff.
"We believe we have a great opportunity to further strengthen
and improve the integration of care and education in the best
interests of the children. Our focus will be on ensuring the
children who attend health camp continue to receive a high
standard of therapeutic care and learning," Dr Inkpen said.
The needs of the children attending the camp were getting
more complex, she said.
Pupils attend the school for about five weeks during their
stay at the health camp.
- lynda.van.kempen@odt.co.nz
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