In one of the few southern centres with weather safe enough to protest outside, the group of about 100 marched in Main St before settling in at the town’s trout monument, where they received toots of support from passers by.
Gore march organisers, NZEI Te Riu Roa Murihiku co-chairs Maureen Svensson and Glenda West made sure everyone had a free coffee to warm up in the sunny but windy conditions.
Most of Gore’s secondary and primary schools, and some from surrounding townships, were represented.
Riversdale School teacher Keralee Marshall said the number of neurodivergent children was rising, and in classes of 26 or 27 those children were falling through the cracks.
She and her fellow staff were calling for more teacher aids and other specialist workers, to give those children, and teachers, more support.
