Alternative education for Gloriavale ‘not well developed’ — judge

| Greymouth Star | Arianna Stewart |

The High Court interim decision of the ministry of education’s plan to shut Gloriavale Christian School, shows the ministry did not have any supervision lined up for the 100 children it expected to attend the proposed replacement, a Te Kura Hub. It also proposed setting up the Te Kura Hub in the Gloriavale School premises — but did not have a lease in place.

The school’s registration was set to be cancelled until that was stopped by the High Court after an 11th hour application from the school board of trustees for an interim order.

The future of the school may become clearer today following a hearing.

Court documents from a teleconference last Wednesday, the day before the registration was due to be cancelled, reveal neither supervision nor a lease for the hub were in place for the new school term, which opens next Monday.

Recently the ministry said it would operate a Te Kura in-person hub for term 1 and potentially into term 2, and was in the process of negotiating a Gloriavale Unit as part of an existing State school. The closest towns to the Lake Haupiri-based Christian community are Moana and Ngahere. Lake Brunner School at Moana is 30 to 40 minutes drive from Gloriavale on a partly gravel road.

Gloriavale School board chairman Joshua Helpful in the application said he did not believe a lease was in place for use of the school premises for the beginning of term one, given the school had not been asked to vacate. It was “completely unfathomable” to him that the children would be situated in the same physical environment, but without actual teachers present and with unclear supervision arrangements.

“The position will be worsened because of a potential influx of Gloriavale homeschooled children who will, as a result of Education Review Office (ERO)/ministry decision making, also have to be enrolled at an alternative school, most likely with the other Gloriavale children,” the court summary document says.

Justice Jason McHerron said in the court summary, cancellation of the school’s registration “might be acceptable if a clear plan was in place for the ongoing education of the school’s students”.

Justice McHerron’s observation was prefaced by saying the ministry did not have an adequate opportunity to respond in detail, so was based largely on the material it provided to the court.

“Yet, with those qualifications, I am satisfied that it is at least arguable that the replacement school arrangements are not sufficiently well developed and implemented to allow the proposed cancellation to take effect in the interim.

“The students of the school will require more certainty as to where they are to enrol as students next, as well as considerable support as they transition to a more mainstream education environment.”

The school board painted “a convincing picture” that transitional arrangements for the students were uncertain and incomplete, “at a time that is worryingly close to the start of the school year”.

Legal counsel for the ministry “did not articulate any urgent safety concerns requiring the cancellation of the school’s registration by the specific date of 23 January 2026”.

Ministry lawyers told the court the thinking behind that date, was to “minimise disruption” so that students would be starting the new year in the alternative arrangements at a convenient time to be changing schools.

The court also heard that alternative schooling options are the legal responsibility of the parents of students, and alternative education provision for Gloriavale students would be arranged on a “phased approach”.

The ministry expected to have arrangements finalised by the end of February.

Having reached the decision that the school was “an emotionally and physically unsafe environment”, the ministry wanted the school to cease operating “as soon as it reasonably can”.

However, Justice McHerron said he had reservations about whether the proposed alternative arrangements by the ministry were “adequately crystallised”.

“It is possible that when that further material is provided pertaining to the emotional and physical safety of the students it will weigh against continuation of the interim order.

“I have made because it will allow the court a better appreciation of the reasons for the substantive cancellation decision.”