Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Plight of Maori boarding school revealed

Updated at 6:41 am on 26 February 2013

The Government has been advised that a Maori boarding school in the Rangitikei district near Whanganui came close to shutting at the end of 2012.

The future of Turakina Maori Girls' College in Marton has been raised in documents written by the Ministry of Education and released to Radio New Zealand under the Official Information Act.

According to the papers compiled last year, the board of proprietors was concerned about the school's financial viability and the condition of its buildings. It stated the college might close at the end of 2012.

However, the school remains open.

College principal Terehia Channings agrees the school was at financial risk last year, but said it is now in better shape.

She said the statement did not come from the Board of Proprietors, but instead was the account of one person who used to be on the board in an acting position and is no longer associated with the governance of the school.

Ms Channings says the college is definitely not closing, and is proudly operating this year.

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