Queen Elizabeth College principal Chris Moller says the school’s Māori studies block is a cultural space and shouldn't be classified as a block of classrooms. Photo / Warwick Smith / Stuff
A Palmerston North high school is at odds with the Ministry of Education over the classification of a building which the school sees as its unofficial marae.
Queen Elizabeth College is fighting for the classification of its Te Matui Māori studies block, which was built in the 1970s as a teaching block. Then in 2002 it was refurbished and turned into a wharenui (meeting house) and Māori studies space.
Because it was built as a teaching block, the ministry says it is still classified as teaching spaces.
But principal Chris Moller said it was now a cultural space used by the school and the community, so shouldn’t be classified as a block of classes.
The building is made up of two classrooms, which are used for teaching te reo and performing arts, a wharekai (a kitchen and dining room), a meeting room also used for sleeping and a room for storing mattresses.
Five classrooms
Moller said the ministry had classified the building as five classrooms, with the wharekai split into two classes, and the storage room as an administration office.
The school’s roll is about 300. Moller said if this increased, which it was predicted to do, and other classes filled up, the school would be forced to use all the rooms as classrooms and not as a cultural space.
“How would that go down with the community?”
It could also mean the school may not be able to get funding for more classrooms if it needed more teaching space.
The school had asked for a resolution but hadn’t been able to agree with the ministry.
Moller said the block didn’t have official marae status but it was a culturally appropriate Māori space for students.
Queen Elizabeth College’s Māori head, Mare Ponga, says when the block opened it was huge for Māori. Photo / Warwick Smith / Stuff
It is used for noho marae stays and wānanga teaching sessions.
“It's the spiritual base of the school.
“We've got a high percentage of Māori kids. We're supposed to be engaging with Māori students and we feel like we're doing a lot here but not getting help from the ministry.”
He said the building’s status was being undone by the stroke of a pen.
The ministry’s head of property, infrastructure and digital Sam Fowler said schools chose how to manage spaces within the property guide entitlement and could use buildings to best suit needs.
“The ministry does not reclassify rooms based on how a school uses the space but maintains the classification based on how the space was funded.
'A safe haven'
“These spaces are still classified as five teaching spaces.”
Fowler said in planning for the school’s future, the ministry would work with the school to use the spaces it had to support growth and its aspirations for teaching and learning environments.
The school’s Māori head, Mare Ponga, said when the block opened it was huge for Māori and it was different from facilities at other schools.
“It's a marae, it's a safe haven for [students] during morning tea and lunch times to have a break from what's happening around the school.”
“They can have a bit of a quiet time when they're feeling a bit stressed or anything like that.”
He said the school had a responsibility to maintain the space for its students.