My Account
Population growth is forcing local primary schools to create zones and, in the case of Silverdale School, to shrink its existing zone; the changes at two schools take effect at the start of Term 2.
Some principals and parents say that this reduces choice for local families. Stanmore Bay School principal Carol Abley is one who shares this view. Her school has established a new zone, which starts next term, but Carol says the decision to create a zone was out of the school’s hands. “Parents should have the right to choose the school that suits them, regardless of where it is but that won’t be the case under this system,” she says. “This was forced upon us by the Ministry because of huge roll growth.”
She says that the school enrolled 90 more children at the end of Term 4 last year, than the year before and more classrooms are needed. “We have been allocated new classrooms now that the zone is going ahead.”
Boards of Trustees have discretion to accept out of zone enrolments, but Carol says she was horrified to see that at the bottom of the list of priorities for this are teacher’s own children. “The Ministry only cares about money and statistics, not kids,” she says. “I told them parents would rather their children walked from Vipond Road to our school, rather than along the busy highway to Red Beach School but they didn’t listen.”
Stanmore Bay School consulted with parents on the formation of a zone, which was then approved by the Ministry of Education. There will be no out of zone applications accepted at the school this year, with the only exception being siblings who turn five years of age who have brothers or sisters at the school.
Ministry representatives at a meeting at Silverdale School last year indicated that Red Beach School may also need to shrink its zone, but have said there is no timeframe for this as yet.
Silverdale School reduced the size of its zone after consultation with the community where emotions ran high among families that are now excluded (HM November 18, 2015). The changes come into force next term and no alterations were made to the new zone as a result of that consultation.
At a meeting held last November at the school, it was suggested that families in Stillwater, Pine Valley Rd and East Coast Rd who find themselves out of zone could consider Wainui School, which has no zone, Dairy Flat School, or primary schools in Orewa.
The area around Orewa Primary is also seeing massive residential development. The school currently doesn’t have a zone, but Principal Diane Lambert says the Ministry is working with them to put one in place.
