Homai Blind College Will Become A State School
HOMAI CENTRE TO BE A RESIDENTIAL STATE SPECIAL SCHOOL
New Zealand Government
Education Minister
Nick Smith announced today that the Homai Vision
Education
Centre in Auckland would become part of the
state school network from next July.
Services at the
Centre will continue to cater for students
nationwide.
"Establishing Homai as a state special
school will give blind and vision
impaired students
the same security of a state funded education as all
other
students in New Zealand. This will enhance the
education provided to blind and
vision impaired students
throughout the country. I know the parents of
children
at Homai will welcome this decision which
gives certainty to their children's
future
education."
Through Homai, more than 400 students located
in Auckland, Northland and Nelson
receive support from
itinerant teachers. Since it opened in 1964, Homai
has
been funded by the Crown and administered by the
Royal New Zealand Foundation
for the Blind.
"The
change in status was formally requested by the Foundation
for the Blind,
with the support of parents wanting Homai
to become a state school. A board of
trustees will be
established to govern the school, with representation from
the
Foundation. The change is in line with the
Special Education 2000 policy and
regularises the status
of the school in relation to other special
schools."
Fifty-five blind and vision-impaired students
now attend the centre, in addition
to six students
attending James Cook High School and twenty-two students
that
attend the Manurewa High School Resource Room.
Thirty students currently live
in the residential
accommodation.
"Government is committed to ensuring
every young New Zealander has access to a
high standard
of education, regardless of disability. This decision will
enable
students to complete their schooling at Homai
with certainty of the centre's
future and prospective
parents to plan for their children's
future."