Moerewa
The township of Moerewa was built to be a service centre for the mid north region for the primary industries of the 1960s and 70s. e.g. Allied Farmers Freezing Company (AFFCO), the BOI Dairy Company, the railways and associated businesses. The small rural town was regarded as a booming centre in its heyday, however through the late 1970’s to 1980’s there were huge economic changes leaving communities like Moerewa devastated.
In the 2001 Census there were 378 families living in Moerewa and a population of 1,662. 83% of the population in 2001 were Maori and 36% were under the age of 15 years. The median income of people in Moerewa was $12,000, compared with $18,500 for all of New Zealand. The unemployment rate in Moerewa in 2001 was 17.7 percent, compared with 7.5 percent nationally.
Commitment to Our Community
Since 2001 there has been significant community development initiated by a community trust to inject life into the local economy with the benefits of employment for local people, with consequent positive social spin offs.
The community’s success in changing the outlook of the town can be seen in the strong demand to the Ministry of Education during the network review for a different type of education for its young people, particularly for an education that was relevant for rangatahi Maori.
Moerewa School is committed to meeting our community’s high expectations.
Our People
Our students, our staff, our board of trustees, our parents and our community are all part of the amazing Moerewa School whanau. With a strong Ngati Hine identity our students develop the knowledge and skills to critically investigate their world and make positive change for Maori. Our Whanau are a vital part of Moerewa School. They are our local wisdom, that we regularly consult with to make our curriculum more meaningful and robust. Our community drives what Moerewa School believes in. “It takes a whole village to raise a child” is not just a saying at Moerewa School, it is a reality.