Pupils' no-show could see school closed

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Mon, 30 Jan 2012 6:11p.m.

Rotary Park School

Rotary Park School

By Anna Burns-Francis

A Dunedin primary school is on the brink of collapse after half its students left over the holidays.

Rotary Park School has just 34 pupils now, and only a third of them turned up for the first day, following allegations their principal was bullying the teachers.

It was supposed to be a sign of solidarity - the last remaining parents at Rotary Park School meeting to discuss the future of their children's education. But it didn't go as planned.

Sixty-six pupils were enrolled at the school last year - now half have left, and parents unhappy with today's meeting may push the school to the brink of collapse.

Many of the parents who turned up today were too upset to talk on camera, but one of them told us that only 13 children actually turned up for the first day.

And while all three teachers are also in class, they're crying and worried about the future of the school.

An Education Review Office report last year revealed a dysfunctional relationships between the board of trustees, teachers and principal Carmel Casey.

Five of the six trustees have quit and the Ministry Of Education has put a commissioner in charge

The teachers have alleged they were bullied and intimidated by Ms Casey.

Parents are anxious about the future of the school.

"We were hoping that it was going to be a new start at the beginning of the year, where Levi could come to school and it would be a stress-free environment," says Jody James.

The school's commissioner, Cleave Hay, is hopeful more parents and children will return.

"I don't know what they're feeling except to say by mid-to-late this week, once we know the actual number of students at the school, we'll really have a better feel for that."

The investigations into Ms Casey's employment should be completed within the next two weeks, but by then, the pupils may have shifted to new schools.

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Comments

13 Feb 2012 01:05p.m.

Wing wrote:

I am a past parent of this once wonderful school. Both my children had fond memories of their time there. When we left Dunedin a few years ago, Carmel has already been the principal. I watch with profound sadness about what is happening but so far have felt obliged to keep quiet as I do not know all the facts. However, the discussions are getting very personal and painted a very biased picture against the principal. Based on my dealings with Carmel, I found her to be a very sincere, down to earth and straight forward type of person. I was shocked at the allegations leveled at her and would consider that out of character. In fact, while my children were there, I had the impression that she was the victim of bullying, ironically by a teacher with a strong character who is now accusing Carmel of the same. As for the future of RPS, I believe it's fate was sealed when the chairman of the BOT came out and publicly described the school as 'sinking ship' and the environment as 'toxic'. Would any prospective parents still consider sending their children there after what he had said? If parents and teachers have complaints about the school management , it should be dealt with through the official channel and not by talking to the media.

01 Feb 2012 01:32a.m.

Leigh wrote:

In fact every thing everyone says about us is true,that we are a bunch of small minded parents who which to control the school. We dont care that the teacher and students deserve a safe environment. We dont care about stopping the school from closure. We think that the principal should be allowed to bully the teacher to the point they are in tears in front of parents and students. Our children don't deserve the best opportunities that a school can offer and we shouldn't turn out in support of a school that we love. Get real people, try and live in our shoes we tried to make the best of a really toxic situation, if you were not there and and dont have all the facts other than what has been portrayed by the media, I dont think you should be jumping to conclusions.

We have the right for a safe environment for our children, and as part of that the teachers should be able to feel safe when in the same room with Carmel Casey. We wouldn't be facing closure at the end of the year due to lack of new students. The Board resigning, people leaving the school in droves, bullied and harassed teachers leaving on stress leave are not signs of a healthy school, but signs of a school with serious problems at management level. These problems have been festering for years beginning with a board of trustees which wouldn't allow teachers to address simple issues to do with the principal of the school, because of their friendship with said principal.

With deep regret we chose to remove our child from the school after trying everything in our power to create a supportive environment. We had to do what was right for our child and at this stage a school run by Carmel Casey was not and is not a healthy environment for anyone.

01 Feb 2012 12:48a.m.

Gary M wrote:

What a shame these two people are so uneducated on this subject they are probably friends of the prinicipal,I am one of those parents who was trying to save the school,in my 6 year olds class there is 2 children left, why have all the children left when the prinicpal started back on monday, why are the teachers crying and say they cant work with carmel casey, and as for jan stevens she is the most fair and kind hearted teacher of all,im so upset she wont be teaching my boy, instead of posting complete rubbish, you should go the school and look at the mess its in at the hands of carmel casey, we had a meeting on monday where all parents where told the school will close at the end of the year, so there is a lot more of the story to be told, but only to the end of the year

31 Jan 2012 08:18a.m.

Andrew W wrote:

Procedures have not been followed here by the parents therefore they are wrong and deserve detentions. Shameful behavior and your typical parent mob mentality we are seeing more and more of in NZ schools. Schools need support and positive actions to help the teachers set the right example to our children.

30 Jan 2012 11:55p.m.

Sallie Remon wrote:

As a past parent of the school (I removed my children 2 years ago) I have to say that I know of no one who has left the school due to the Principal but know of many, many parents who have removed their children due to the bullying, over-controlling and unorthodox favoritism of the bright and talented children to the detriment of all others by the Senior Class teacher, Jan Stevens. Myself included. I myself found Carmel Casey to be a fair and kind hearted Principal and feel there is a lot more to this story than is being told?