Salisbury School is staring closure in the face but national organisation Graduate Women New Zealand are giving their support, saying the specialist school must stay open.
Minister of Education Hekia Parata announced in June last year, that she was looking to close the school. Salisbury responded last month with a threat to take legal action against her for the second time.
Graduate Women New Zealand have released a statement in which organisation president, Bernadette Devonport says she believes that closing the school would be fatal.
“Graduate Women New Zealand strongly believes that education empowers women and girls.”
Bernadette says girls with intellectual disabilities, like some of the students Salisbury cater for, are particularly vulnerable.
“Research showed that the victimisation of children with disabilities compounds the low self-esteem, emotional problems, sense of helplessness associated with their disabilities”.
“A learning environment that is dedicated to girls without competition and social pressure from boys allows girls to be free to pursue academic excellence in any area they choose is very valuable”.
