Troubled school back on right track | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Makoura College, once on the brink of closure, has won praise from the Ministry of Education and could soon elect a board of trustees.

An Education Review Office report has found students are achieving better, have higher school attendance, and fewer are dropping out than was the case two years ago.

Principal Tom Hullena, who took over the school last year after the school board resigned leading to the appointment of a commissioner, said he couldn't have asked for a better result.

"I'm very pleased with the report. I think it acknowledges a huge amount of hard work that's been done by all staff."

The school had introduced measures to boost student achievement such as having Year 9 and Year 10 students spend two-thirds of their class-time with one teacher instead of divided between many.

Mr Hullena said this built a rapport between student and teacher and meant better learning and behaviour.

The school had also divided its day into three periods instead of the usual five or six and had introduced new sports and agricultural courses to better prepare students for the workforce.

The school has had only two fist fights this year and he is proud of a new restorative justice model.

Mr Hullena said intensive monitoring, which looked at NCEA credits, attendance and behaviour, were tracking in the right direction and was particularly heartened by the fact the roll had increased by 40 students this year after a long downward spiral that had seen the school's finances - tied to the number of students enrolled - sink deep into the red.

The report found the school still was not providing enough for international students which, except for four exchange students, were non-existent on the school roll.

Mr Hullena said he was focusing on the immediate school community first and some of the ministry's concerns related to reporting issues at the school's end.

Commissioner Tim White said the real sign of progress was the Education Review Office said it would only need to conduct another review in two years.

He said that with approval from the ministry the school could be in a position to elect a Board of Trustees again by next year.