New Future for Hukarere

Te Ao Hou, March 1962, Page 21

New Future for Hukarere Hukarere School for Maori girls, in Napier, faced a crisis a few months ago, when staff shortages made it likely that it would have to close. But the publicity given to this situation brought offers of help from all over the country, and the school now has a new headmistress, Mrs R. E. Flashoff [above], who has been teaching at Wanganui. Hukarere was founded in 1875. It is run by the Church of England, but has had pupils of many denominations. Most of them come from the remoter parts of the country, and would otherwise have had to study through the Correspondence School. A new assembly hall has been opened at Ngata Memorial College, Ruatoria, and the school library has been dedicated to the memory of Sir Apirana Ngata. The Minister of Education, Mr Blair Tennent, opened the assembly hall, and the Bishop of Aotearoa, the Rt. Rev. W. N. Panapa, dedicated the library. A memorial plaque was unveiled by the Very Rev. J. G. Laughton. The memorial to Sir Apirana consists of a recess which is decorated with tukutuku and carvings. A number of ladies in and around Ruatoria were responsible for the tukutuku, and Pine Taiapa made the carvings. The ceremony at the College, which was attended by a large number of people, was followed by lunch at Uepohatu Hall.