The National government is implementing their 'Charter Schools' plan in the face of widespread public opposition. The public protest is well founded! Privatisation of the administration of education has resulted in a lack of transparency and accountability and it's our vulnerable children who are paying the price. The government is abdicating its responsibilities to the taxpayer - the people who pay the politicians wages - and fobbing off concerns with all manner of pathetic excuses such as the ones from Hekia Parata and Chris Hipkins.
It began with the 'Tomorrows Schools' program, which introduced Boards of Trustees and transferred powers and responsibilities from the Ministry of Education to the Boards of Trustees, but failed to put measures into place to ensure accountability of the Boards, who now appear to be a law unto themselves. In the interests of transparency, the matter of the bullying and corruption at the South End school is being documented and published, so that New Zealanders can see how their taxes are being spent.
This matter involves bullying, incompetence, corruption, deceit and serious privacy breaches, and all New Zealanders who pay taxes or have children should read it.
Clearly this isn't just my perception of the matter, the reports of the Education Review Office speak for themselves, and are utterly damning. The hypocrisy of the various politicians who have been contacted is unbelievable! They say they care about vulnerable children, feeding the kids, etc, but when it comes to actually doing anything constructive about those matters, they refuse. The only politician who has actually done anything constructive about the matters is Kelvyn Alp, who wrote to the Ombudsmen and demanded that they reopen the so called investigation into the matters, after I received a rude and arrogant letter refusing to reopen the inquiry when I requested them to. Kelvyn Alp's letter forced the Ombudsmen to reopen the so called inquiry - but over a year later there has been NO action whatsoever from the Ombudsmen, and it's become obvious that they have no intention of doing anything about it and are deliberately corrupt and grossly incompetent.
Recent correspondence regarding the bullying and corruption at the South End school:
Tena koe Chris Hipkins,
We request that you present this petition to parliament for an urgent inquiry into the situation at the South End School which is completely unacceptable.
Repeated complaints about this have been fobbed off by the government and various agencies responsible for dealing with the matter.
I established a vegetable garden, fruit trees, and several other associated projects at the South End school, and running a program teaching the children to grow their own food, prepare it, cook it, preserve it, trade it, as well as using the Let's Get Growing program to teach other important life skills, and deliver an effective suicide prevention program and anti depression program, as well as a school holiday program. These programs empowered the less well off and more vulnerable members of the community in particular, and were very popular and effective, for individuals as well as strengthening the community, reducing crime, violence, child abuse, etc, as well as raising numeracy and literacy rates and many other positive learning outcomes.
The Board of Trustees of the South End School suddenly sent me a letter which contained a false accusation, the letter stated that I had been "recently charged by the police with an offence involving a child", this letter terminated my employment on the grounds of this false accusation, and stated that the employment would be reinstated "should the charges be withdrawn or you are acquitted".
I told the Principal and the Secretary and one of the members of the BoT who is known to me that there never were any charges, and requested a meeting with he BoT to discuss the letter and the allegation in it, and the reinstatement of my position. I told the Principal and the Deputy Principal that the allegation was false, and malicious, and requested that they pass on my request to the BoT for a meeting with them. The BoT has repeatedly refused to acknowledge this request to meet with me, or engage in any communication whatsoever regarding the matter, and members of the BoT have threatened and intimidated me when I have gone to the school, and someone apparently rung police after I went to the school. The letter 'sacking' me is clear in the intent to reinstate me if the non existent 'charges' alleged are not upheld, and that is the remedy I seek. Lawyers have stated that due to changes in legal aid laws they
Apparently, a Statutory Manager was appointed at the South End School approximately two years ago, his name is Ken Wilson, and he also refuses to engage in communication - I've requested an email address but this has not been provided, and Mr Wilson has refused to respond to telephone enquiries or requests for a meeting, and been hostile and obstructive on the telephone.
The Principal made a complaint to police, alleging that I called him a "thieving crook", but this was not upheld, the Principal then left the school (and the teaching profession apparently). The groundsman, who was also the subject of complaints of bullying also left, but it seems the core element of bullies in the BoT has remained, and continues to refuse to engage in dialogue regarding the matter and refuses to do the right thing and reinstate me, and it seems that there is a complete lack of accountability - the letter at this link from "Jilly Tyler" of the Ministry is outrageous! Our children deserve better than this and so do Kiwi labourers like me - we should be teaching children self sustainability instead of the corporate welfare mentality with Fonterra and religiously oriented Sanitarium handouts - encouraging them to eat fruit and vegetables rather than milk and wheat products, and encouraging them to grow their own food (popcorn for breakfast, vegetable soup for lunch and a big bowl of fruit all day for snacking).
Since receiving the letter I have tried to resolve the matter and have asked to be reinstated - in accordance with the final paragraph of the letter (at this link).
These matters have gone from bad to worse, and there has now been another similarly malicious and incompetent sacking of another staff member. Private, personal documents and correspondence regarding that other staff member and the termination of their employment was given to me by a parent who acquired it because it was mistakenly given to their child to take home by the school secretary - the same woman who is refusing to pass on my communication with the school and the BoT - the school secretary, and her and Ms Brown then unbelievably accused me of stealing the correspondence from Brown's letterbox - despite the witness who gave it to me and who will swear in Court that it was given to her child by the secretary! Her child will swear it too, and so will the child's teacher apparently!
Local MP John Hayes and Education Minister Hekia Parata have both refused to address the matter, Hayes has ignored all correspondence, and Parata wrote a ridiculous letter which is at this link, together with the letter from the BoT and related information.
I would like the school to honour the letter they sent me and reinstate me to my position at the school without delay, for the benefit of our entire community, not just me personally, in accordance with the final paragraph of the letter. Thank you for your attention to this matter, I look forward to receiving your response.
Yours faithfully,
Katherine Raue.
The letter's available to view at this link also in case readers have difficulty adjusting it in the embedded document above. Here is my response:
Dear Chris Hipkins,
Your letter is an insult to the intelligence!
Please pass the matter on to one of your colleagues if it's "beyond the scope of your ability"!
- Pass it on to Michael Bott - and the rest of the Labour MPs and candidates with law degrees - and ask him to take urgent action and write to the South End School asking for an explanation - writing such a letter is within the scope of anyone's ability and you know it!
Our kids are at risk and we will not be fobbed off like this - I am now publishing your letter on the internet and actively encouraging people to circulate it because I am so disgusted by your response and your refusal to act!
Katherine Raue
And here's what a REAL politician did about this outrageous incompetence and corruption - Kelvyn Alp, co-founder of the OURNZ Party, wrote to the Ombudsmen demanding that they re-open their 'investigation' immediately because it was clearly an orchestrated litany of LIES! The Ombudsmen did so and this elicited the truth - that the defamatory allegations about me originated from the corrupt local Police, and elicited a pathetic excuse for an apology which is so insulting that Court action is now underway!
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