Rotorua and Kawerau MP Todd McClay has welcomed the decision of school reorganisation in Kawerau.

“I told the community that this would be an open consultation and today’s announcement shows that we have listened,” he said.

Mr McClay said that the consultation process, over the past 8 months, had been a success and he is thankful to local residents who have made their views known to him.

“As part of this consultation a great deal of concern about Kawerau College has emerged. Parents have told me that they do not have confidence in the educational opportunities that the College offers their children,” he said.

“There seems to be a culture of truancy, bullying, fighting and underachievement at this school. If we had only focused on primary education as part of the reorganisation then the job would only have been half done.”

“Children would continue to leave the town to seek education elsewhere and this would have continued to put education in Kawerau under considerable pressure,” Mr McClay said.

“I am thankful to Anne Tolley for taking these concerns on-board and for agreeing to further community discussion and consultation on intermediate and college-aged education. I would also like to thank Mayor Malcolm Campbell for his assistance and for supporting the community during this process” Mr McClay said

“With significant youth issues in Kawerau it is important that we get the mix of educational opportunities right”

“I am committed to working with, and listening to, the parents and teachers who have chosen to put the educational needs of their community first, and I look forward to reaching agreement on higher education for Kawerau”

“We must reinvest both effort and resource into Kawerau College and build upon the excellent work that the primary schools do in this town” Todd McClay said.

ENDS

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