Praise for new Taieri schools

(From left) Graeme Jenks, Roy Campbell and Dave Glover. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
(From left) Graeme Jenks, Roy Campbell and Dave Glover. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Taieri schools created by the 2003 mergers have been given a pat on the back by the Ministry of Education for achievements at the schools in recent years.

However, there is still regret and bitterness in some corners of the community about the amalgamations.

Southern Regional manager Michael De'Ath said there had been improvements in literacy and NCEA results alongside a reduction in suspensions since school closures and mergers in 2003.

"As a result of the network review in the Taieri area, resources were spent on students rather than maintaining under-utilised or empty classrooms.

The review represented a difficult process for all of those involved, but progress since then has been very encouraging."

Primary schools created by the mergers, such as Silverstream, Elmgrove and East Taieri, have seen improvements in the proportion of pupils reading, writing and spelling at or above the level for their age, he said.

Taieri College, created by the merger of Taieri High School and Mosgiel Intermediate, has gone from 68% of pupils achieving NCEA level 1 in 2004 to 82% in 2007.

Suspensions and stand-downs had decreased from 33 suspensions per 1000 pupils in 2002 to less than eight per 1000 in 2007.

"Taieri High School once had the highest rate of stand-downs in the greater Dunedin area, with 54 stand-downs per 1000 students in 2002. That has dropped to fewer than 19 per 1000 - well below the national average of 29.3."

Elmgrove School principal Jenny McDonald said it was "very nice" to get approval from the ministry but credit had to go to the whole community.

"We couldn't have done it without the support of the community. Since the merger, we've worked hard to create a new community, forge new relationships and create a good learning environment for the pupils."

Mrs McDonald said there were "huge regrets" at the time because the schools were the centres of their communities.

Some in the community were still upset by it.

"But all the children at our school now don't know any better. To them, this is the way it has always been."

East Taieri School principal Jennifer Horgan said her school roll was steady on 300 pupils, and would grow to 320 by the end of this year.

"We couldn't go any higher than 320 because we wouldn't have room for them. We would have to build more classrooms."

Two proposed subdivisions in the school zone meant her roll could increase further, for which she believed the ministry would fund the construction of more classrooms.

While some in the community could question the ministry's decision to close schools in 2003, only to expand others to cope with population growth, Mrs Horgan believed it was still a good decision.

"The merger wasn't a waste of time. There have been huge benefits from it - better facilities, the money given means we can provide better programmes for the children and extra staff."

Silverstream School principal Elizabeth Cleverley declined to comment as she had only been at the school for one week.

 

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