The trust board governing Dilworth School says it's now acting on the recommendations made by an independent inquiry which found the prestigious Auckland school hid historical sexual abuse offending by teachers.
The school's trust board said it had "fully accepted and is acting on all 19 recommendations" made by an independent inquiry, released last month.
The inquiry found survivors at Dilworth were silenced and the school's actions not only protected sex criminals but enabled them.
While recent court proceedings have led to convictions for crimes relating to 45 students, the inquiry has identified 175 victims of sexual abuse and it is believed the true number is higher again.
The report acknowledged the police estimate that there are 233 victims.
Inquirers said one finding was that the board model in place at Dilworth remains inadequate for proper governance of a school.
Board chairperson Aaron Snodgrass said today it had already commenced two key initiatives, primarily focused on reviewing governance arrangements of the board.
"The board has appointed an independent external expert to conduct a review of governance at Dilworth, so that we can ensure we have in place the very best competencies and organisational structure to deliver the Dilworth mission," he said.
"The board has also appointed educational governance expert, John Morris, to the board with immediate effect.
"John Morris was the first executive principal of Crimson Global Academy and is a former Auckland Grammar School headmaster. He will assist in overseeing the governance review and establishing an interim governance structure for the school."
But he said "the work required to implement many of the recommendations cannot happen overnight if it is to be done properly."
In light of the findings of the inquiry, the board chairperson said the Dilworth Trust Board has also revisited the terms of its redress programme.
"We have listened to and acknowledge feedback that the wording relating to a student being sexually abused by another student needs to change and be unqualified," Snodgrass said.
"We have worked with the redress panel to change and simplify the eligibility for student-on-student sexual abuse by removing the caveats that the abuse occurred where 'a Dilworth representative failed to take reasonable steps to protect against the potential for that abuse, or where the sexual abuse was encouraged or permitted by a Dilworth representative'.
"By doing so, we hope to make it easier for cases of a former student being sexually abused by another student to be considered by the redress panel."
Dilworth 'sincerely apologises' over abuse
Snodgrass said in his media release today: "The inquiry's report and its accounts of abuse endured by former students — as well as the impact it continues to have on their lives, families and whānau — are distressing.
"On behalf of the board, I sincerely apologise today to all former students, who suffered abuse while at our school and to their families and their whānau."
He said the "inquiry's report provides a catalyst for further progress, and its findings pinpoint areas which we are now addressing".
The board chairperson pointed to actions the school had already taken in the past few several years, and said it had now "established detailed action plans for each of the nine categories of Inquiry recommendations".
"In accepting and acting on all 19 recommendations, the board agrees that a respectful, two-way process of engagement is needed with all those who were affected by historical abuse at our School, as well as our wider Dilworth community," he said.
"We have asked the Dilworth response team to help us achieve this by working with all survivors of abuse and other former students, their families and whānau.
"We will listen, we will acknowledge, and we will respect the needs of those who experienced abuse while attending Dilworth School."
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