It may be blueprint, says principal | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Whakatane Intermediate principal Doug McLean says proposed changes to Kawerau middle and senior schools could become a blueprint for the nation - as long as it's done the right way.

The Education Ministry has announced it is considering closing both schools in their current form and establishing a middle school (Years 7-10) and senior school (Years 11-13) on the existing college campus.

The ministry's original preferred plan was to close the intermediate at the end of the year but nine months of community consultation, community meetings and a hikoi to the steps of Parliament opposing the closure prompted changes to the plan for Kawerau schools.

Early next year public consultation will begin on closing the intermediate and college and opening a school for years 7 to 10 and a senior school for years 11 to 13 on a combined site.

A te reo Maori immersion school for years 1 to 8 is to be established on the current Kawerau North School site and with Kawerau South School to be retained for years 1 to 6 instead of years 1 to 8 as originally proposed.

Kawerau North and Kawerau Central School will be merged with Putauaki on the Putauaki site and will remain open for years 1 through 8, although the proposal is to drop to years 1 to 6 within three years.

A long-time supporter of the importance of the emerging adolescent years (10-14), Mr McLean said the Kawerau proposal had the potential to serve as a blueprint for a national change in middle and senior schooling.

"One, I believe, would be for the better," he said.

When he first spoke to The Daily Post about the Kawerau schools merger, he expressed the importance of retaining a separate intermediate and went as far as suggesting removing Year 9 students from the college and taking them back to the intermediate.

"This gives them vital extra time at a middle school - having both Years 9 and 10 included in the school is even better."

Mr McLean said research from the past few years showed the emerging adolescents age group was second only in importance to the early childhood years.

Students within this group needed a special teacher, one they could get to know well and consider a third parent, a teacher who set high standards and tight routines. "Most of our typical secondary school models do not meet these needs," he said.

"Having students remain in a single class with one high-calibre teacher would meet their pastoral care needs."

He supported the proposal of a middle and senior school at Kawerau but said it would be extremely important to keep the two age groups separate.

"I think it would be a worry if the two schools were on the same campus - they need to be separated."

Kawerau Intermediate principal Daryl Aim has said while uncertainty remained after the recently announced changes to the Education Ministry's original proposal, it would allow intermediate staff and supporters the opportunity to "take a breath".

He said he was unsure how the community would react to the news of a junior and senior school on the same campus.

"One thing that was clear throughout this whole process was that people did not want the intermediate and college to merge. Whether people will see this proposal as a merger or not will be interesting, I look forward to hearing what they have to say."