Flagship Wairarapa School In the Red for the First Time

Labour’s Wairarapa candidate Michael Bott is on a war-path after learning about the miserable funding for education in the Wairarapa.

Today after meeting the Principal of Greytown’s Kuranui College Bott was disturbed to learn that for the first time the school is running at a deficit for the financial year.

“I’m disturbed to hear yet another case of one of our major schools finding it financially difficult to function as a modern and well resourced school. Last month I visited Masterton’s flagship last chance school, Ohorere School which is facing closure due to funding cuts.”

Bott was disturbed to find that funding for alternative education, that is specialist education for vulnerable children with adjustment and learning difficulties was fixed by the Ministry at just $11,000-00 per child annually.

“That figure includes tax, so in reality that amount is substantially less (around $9,565-00). You couldn’t afford a fulltime specialist on that rate” Bott said. “Tragically if these kids don’t get help now they will wind up being graduates in our Polytech of Crime – prison.”

Bott says education is absolutely key to ensuring our kids and region have a good future.

“As a criminal lawyer I see too often the failures of our school system. Education is key to preventing this and our kids especially our most vulnerable are being let down by the systemic underfunding of education”.

I have been impressed with the resolve of our local schools to provide innovative outcomes for our regions students.

“As a local MP I intend to work tirelessly to push for our schools to be given the proper funding to do this job. Children are far too important to rely upon the current smell of an oily rag and number-8 wire approach favoured by the current Government,” Bott said.