Buoyed because the ERO report is acknowledging long-held concerns, but disappointed at the time it has taken and the uncertainty about what will happen next.
The ERO says it instigated the special review following recent court cases citing incidences of physical and sexual abuse of children within the Gloriavale community, findings about young people’s employment status and the suitability of some school staffing.
It described these as significant events impacting schooling since the previous 2020 review.
Since then the school had undergone several leadership and staffing changes and was no longer providing schooling beyond Year 10.
In common with several other government agencies, the ERO has not covered itself with glory in its approach to issues at the community, even making allowances for the limits to the extent of its oversight because the school is a private one.
It is hard to believe all the issues now identified have appeared in the last three years.
In 2020, although the ERO raised concerns about the provision of a physically and emotionally safe space for pupils, it was satisfied the school had complied with its requests for improvements.
Last year in one of the cases involving the employment status of some young people who had since left the community, Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis criticised the ERO giving its blessing to a work experience programme (when the children were 15 and still legally required to be at school) which was really the transition into fulltime work in the Gloriavale businesses.
In the special report, it was concerning to read that during the onsite phase of the review, community leaders declined to provide the ERO a definite number of school-aged children or a full overview of the educational provision for every school-aged learner in the community, stating that the choice of education provision was up to the parents.
It is difficult to tell how many children under the age of 16 in the community may be getting little or no schooling.
Those still in class are in a school which the ERO review says is not meeting six of the eight requirements for private schools.
Despite this, the school goes on, and is being given another chance to urgently sort itself out, with the ERO planning another review within 12 months.
It is hard to believe there will be a miraculous turnaround in that time.
And another thing
One more sleep before we know how all the votes fell in this year’s general election.
Well, almost. We still have the Port Waikato by-election later this month to get through.
However, tomorrow’s final tally does not mean a coalition deal will be stitched up by the weekend.
We may not necessarily even know much more about whether it will be a two-party coalition with National and Act New Zealand, or if New Zealand First will be doing more than pressing its nose against the door saying "let me in".
There will be much commentary about how long the horse-trading between the parties will last and how the lolly scramble for the baubles of office will play out.
Who will end up with their fillings removed by chomping on the hard caramels or with lips permanently puckered after sucking on sour jubes? Will gob stoppers need to be used?
Who might be elbowed out of getting any sweets at all? Will we have to endure more of political leaders being chased through airports by reporters wielding microphones so we can hang on every breath they take because they are not saying anything?
So many questions, and there will be so many predictions.
However, at least there are only six runners, which should make it easier to sort out when picking who is going to win, compared to selecting the victor in next week’s Melbourne Cup.
