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Long-awaited plans for a new Catholic secondary school in South Auckland are finally progressing.
These plans were announced in a press statement last year by Catholic Education Office chief executive Paul Ferris.
He said the Church had bought 25ha in Burtt Rd, Drury, South Auckland three years ago for a new 1,000-student, $40m co-educational high school.
Ferris explained the plans couldn’t progress without Ministry approval.
Approval is required because the state pays up to 85 per cent of the cost of new integrated schools.
Ferris also pointed out in his press statement in July 2018 that ” 1,000 kids [were] travelling from the Pukekohe area to Catholic schools in the city every day,”.
Nothing further was said until last week. However, on Friday, the NZ Catholic reported that the Minister of Education had approved the Auckland diocese’s application to begin integration negotiations for a proposed new Catholic year 7-13 secondary school in Drury.
According to NZ Catholic, the Ministry of Education is to begin a consultation process with relevant schools and institutions, alongside the negotiation process.
Auckland diocese vicar for education Linda McQuade has now sent a letter to south Auckland Catholic primary principals and boards of trustees chairs.
In it, she wrote that the diocese was delighted to have received the correspondence from the Minister.
“It has been over 20 years since the establishment of a Catholic secondary school at Drury was first seen as an important addition to the network of Catholic secondary schools within Auckland diocese,” she wrote.
McQuade also noted that, at present, transport costs could be a barrier for access to Catholic secondary schools for families in South Auckland.
A new Catholic secondary school in the Drury area would, if approved, reduce the number of students leaving south Auckland to access Catholic education.
It would also reduce the non-productive time for students travelling to and from school, she wrote.
At present inn the Auckland Diocese, there are 24,000 young people enrolled in 43 primary schools and 15 secondary colleges.
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