Makoura

**Posted:** Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:42 pm

Update on Makoura's status, with mention of Jemaine's advocacy efforts towards keeping the school open. Well, it's still open --and doing well, thank you very much!

School on the wrong side of the tracks: College fights back against adversity
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/big-reads/4322707/On-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks

Well done to all involved! :clap:

One can imagine that Jemaine is surely very pleased as well. I would def fight for my little high school too.

**Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:35 am **Posts:** 5373

Quote:

In his blogs on a "Save Makoura" website, Clement shot back: "No gangs of 13-year-old thugs terrorised the science block, you couldn't get whisky with your salad roll and not a fight ever erupted during our sustained silent-reading class.

"When I was there, I think a lot of Mastertonians expected Makoura to be rough because of the part of town that it is in, but for those of us who were actually enrolled at the school, the idea was laughable."

His vocal support and hard-hitting words rallied community support.

Where is this website? I looked for it and I couldn't find it but I suck at finding things on the internet.

**Joined:** Sat May 09, 2009 3:43 am **Posts:** 7237

I hope someone can find the Save Makoura website. I would love to read his blogs, he certainly has a way with words. I applaud the efforts of all those fighting for this school. It's such a perplexing, difficult problem.

Thanks for posting that, Hot Jam.

**Posted:** Wed Nov 10, 2010 5:41 pm

Indeed. The issues they've had to face and overcome appear to span far deeper than low enrollment, although that was most likely just a symptom of a bigger problem too. Perhaps the "Save Makoura" site they're referring to is the F-book site, which you've prob found by now: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19832850974. Although, the article states that it was "a" Save Makoura website not "the ..." - so maybe there were more than one at the time when there was a lot of focused activity...
Either way, so far so good for as far as outcome success with Makoura. It's good that a follow-up was written.

**Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:35 am **Posts:** 5373

Yeah I didn't realize people were still racist towards Maoris, I knew they used to be but I thought they'd moved past it.

I saw that FB page, if that is what they were talking about then the posts have been taken down. I have a feeling it's not, though. We need to get Venus on the case, she's good at tracking stuff down.

**Posted:** Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:37 pm

mockingbird wrote:

Yeah I didn't realize people were still racist towards Maoris, I knew they used to be but I thought they'd moved past it.

Um, I don't mean to be rude but you couldn't possibly know anything about how people here feel about maoris, racist or otherwise, and the implication of your sweeping generalisation offends me immensely. Can we drop the assumptions and stay away from contentious issues like this please? For the record, the vast majority of New Zealanders are absolutely NOT racist, though a few extremists (on both sides) would have it otherwise - same as anywhere else.

**Posted:** Thu Nov 11, 2010 12:15 am

Peace. My apologies if my post led to hard feelings. I really just found it to be a point of interest as many here did follow the goings on at the time. Truth be told, the article itself - as most articles will do - did presume to lay out some the issues at hand. However, as with all things, none of us know anything other than what we know. I was just glad to actually read some follow-up and find that it was positive in nature. Have a good night all! :thumb:

**Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:35 am **Posts:** 5373

Great H wrote:

mockingbird wrote:

Yeah I didn't realize people were still racist towards Maoris, I knew they used to be but I thought they'd moved past it.

Um, I don't mean to be rude but you couldn't possibly know anything about how people here feel about maoris, racist or otherwise, and the implication of your sweeping generalisation offends me immensely. Can we drop the assumptions and stay away from contentious issues like this please? For the record, the vast majority of New Zealanders are absolutely NOT racist, though a few extremists (on both sides) would have it otherwise - same as anywhere else.

I didn't mean to imply anything at all. I was just referring to this, from the article:

Quote:

Lindsay Gribben, who was board chairman, says the recommendation it made for closure was, at the time, in the best interests of the oupils. "We had given our everything and we had run out steam. The east-west divide was so strong.

"I was quite shocked at some of racism that came in submissions against closure. Some said, 'We want the Maori students to stay at Makoura and leave Wairarapa College for the Pakeha.'

"I knew there was a socio-economic gap but I didn't realise the racist attitudes were that vicious.

I can see how you would take "people" to mean "all people" but I certainly didn't mean that, I'd have to be pretty ignorant to assume everyone from New Zealand thinks the same way and like you said, what do I know about it anyway? Obviously nothing since before I read this article and witnessed the wrath of Great H I had no idea this was even an issue at all! I honestly didn't mean to offend you and I assure you, if anything my opinion of Kiwis in general probably runs to the unrealistically positive side rather than the negative, lol.

**Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:35 am **Posts:** 5373

Oh and I'm still waiting for someone to dig up this mysterious website. :whistle:

**Posted:** Thu Nov 11, 2010 3:16 am

I think the website they are referring to is Support Makoura but unfortunately it has been discontinued. I remember reading those quotes before in this article and also another article mentions:

Quote:

In an email sent to supportmakoura website founder Andrew Hutchby in July, Clement defended the school against its supposedly "rough" public perception and went on to praise the school.

"No gangs of 13-year-old thugs terrorised the science block. You couldn't get whiskey with your salad at the school canteen. Not one knife fight ever erupted during our sustained silent reading class.

"In fact it was a pleasure to attend. Students were taught respect for each other. There is no old-fashioned prefect system which teaches pupils that some kids are important and others aren't or gives some students power over others.

"Rather, students are taught to value and respect their fellow students, help them with their problems and listen to their opinions," he said.

So it looks like he didn't necessarily write blogs but those quotes are probably from an email(s) Jemaine sent to the founder of the "Support Makoura" website.

**Posted:** Thu Nov 11, 2010 4:35 am

mockingbird wrote:

... and witnessed the wrath of Great H ...

Yeah, wrath. :fence:

... I'm a pussy cat really. No really. :hammer:

I knew you probably weren't being deliberately offensive Mock, so I'm sorry myself if I came off a bit hard-headed. But you gotta be really careful in an open forum eh? Nevermind, no hard feelings, you're still on my Christmas card list! :hug:

Speaking of which... *runs off to buy stamps*

**Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:35 am **Posts:** 5373

Great H wrote:

I knew you probably weren't being deliberately offensive Mock, so I'm sorry myself if I came off a bit hard-headed. But you gotta be really careful in an open forum eh?

Great H, what are you talking about? Why are you taking such huge offense to this?

**Posted:** Thu Nov 11, 2010 6:04 am

mockingbird wrote:

Great H, what are you talking about? Why are you taking such huge offense to this?

Oh dear, I think you may have misunderstood what I was trying to say there - I was joking about being wrathful. Gotta take my own advice. *sigh*

**Joined:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:35 am **Posts:** 5373

I knew you were joking about that, the part I was wondering about was having to be careful about what I say. I enjoy discussions, and one of the great things about this board is that we have people from all over the world, from different backgrounds, etc. Lord knows I have and probably will continue to put my foot in it from time to time but consider it a teaching opportunity.

I offer you this red delicious as a token of my good will.

Sorry if I was being defensive.

What the Folk!

Makoura

Who is online