Students and teachers at Queen Elizabeth College in Palmerston North are worried about the future of their school marae and the significance it holds within the school.
That's because the school is debating with the Ministry of Education over the status of the school marae.
The school said it was advised that if their roll continued to grow, they would have to revert the marae block into the original five classes that were given 20 years ago.
The ministry won’t fund more classrooms.
Principal Chris Moller said the ministry are not interested in changing the status of the wāhi tapu, which is causing concerns around the future of Māori customs in the school.
"The ministry are saying it's five classrooms, we're saying no it's a cultural space and a really important social space for our community."
Tauira Māori make up 60% of the school's student body, the most prominent mainstream school in the lower North Island for Māori, making the site a significant space.
The wharenui, named Te Mātui, was converted from a classroom block to a marae 20 years ago and has been used as a wānanga space since then.
The school's Māori head of department Mare Ponga said that if Te Mātui is taken away, the heart of Queen Elizabeth College will be gone.
"Ki te huri tēnei hei akomanga, ka memeha ngā tikanga o tēnei whare, ka hoki atu ki ngā akomanga pērā ki te tauiwi (If this is recognised as a classroom, all the customs of this whare are lost and this space goes back to being a mainstream class)."
By Regan Paranihi, Kataraina Anneff
SHARE ME