Kaikōura Schools Vow To Work Together Despite Funding Cut
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter
Kaikora schools have responded to news the Khui Ako funding has been cut in Budget, in favour of funding for learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides.
Kaikōura schools say they will continue to work together despite cuts in Thursday's Budget.
Seven teaching roles, plus teacher relievers, across the five Kaikōura schools will be impacted, with the Kāhui Ako (communities of learning) programme set to be axed in December.
Kaikōura Kāhui Ako lead principal Judith Ford, of St Joseph's Catholic School, said the collaboration between the schools had helped to smooth the transition from primary to secondary school.
''The biggest implication for us, is we will need to put something else in place to make sure the collaboration continues across the district.
''It is nice for us in a small community to work together and get to know each other, otherwise schools can become silos.''
Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed the Kāhui Ako scheme, which paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools around the country, will be scrapped.
The funding will be diverted help pay for more learning support co-ordinators and teacher aides.
''We have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they're delivering intended outcomes,'' Ms Stanford said.
Ending the Kāhui Ako programme means teacher contracts will need to be paid out and principals will be left navigating staff surpluses.
Kaikōura Primary School board of trustees presiding member Vicki Gulleford said the Kāhui Ako programme has been successful in bringing schools together.
She said her school was set to lose its resource teacher of literacy, which was shared with the other Kaikōura schools.
Mrs Ford said being part of Kāhui Ako had allowed teachers the opportunity for professional development which small schools would otherwise be unable to afford.
The Kaikōura Kāhui Ako has begun working with local pre-schools to support the transition to primary school.
A Ministry of Education spokesperson said by 2028 all year 1 to 8 schools will have access to a learning support co-ordinator at ratio of one to every 500 students.
Kaikōura has one learning support co-ordinator which is shared between the schools, with the four primary schools having between 20 and 130 students.
Kāhui Ako were established in 2014 and involved local preschools, primary and secondary schools working together.
There are 220 Kāhui Ako around the country, comprising nearly 2000 schools and around 1500 early learning centres.
The Kaikōura Kāhui Ako brings together Kaikōura High School, Kaikōura Primary School, Kaikōura Suburban School, Hāpuku School and St Joseph's Catholic School.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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