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75th Birthday Celebrations For Hato Paora College

Published: Tue 21 Jun 2022 11:15 AM
Hato Paora College, a Catholic Māori boarding school for boys in Feilding, will be celebrating its 75th Jubilee during Labour Weekend in October. It’s a milestone for the kura because it’s one of the few Māori boarding schools in Aotearoa to survive and continue to be operational.
Principal Nathan Matthews, who attended Hato Paora College as a student in the nineties, says Māori boarding schools like Hato Paora have played an important role in Aotearoa, despite many of them being forced to close while others are struggling to remain open.
“Māori boarding schools haven’t fared so well in recent times, it’s a celebration of us still being open and being an ongoing kura as an option for our communities. Māori Boarding Schools have played an important part in the development of Māori society, particularly through the 20th century. All the schools have contributed significantly to Māori leadership and continue to impact on Māori and New Zealand society,” he says.
Located on farmlands in Cheltenham near Feilding, Hato Paora College was founded in 1948 by the Catholic branch the Society of Mary under the leadership of Marist priest, Father Issac Gupwell.
The vision for the school was to create an environment for boys to grow into young men with strong te reo and tikanga Māori, to promote Catholic and Māori values, to provide a solid education and to encourage achievement and success.
Matthews is one of the former pupils who benefited from the school’s teachings and returned as Principal in 2018. Other well-known former students include kapa haka composer Morvin Simon, the first Māori Catholic bishop, Max Mariu, and professional rugby players Shannon Paku and Otere Black.
“A highlight for me was regularly being exposed to te reo and tikanga Māori, formally and informally. Above all else, was the camaraderie amongst the students and the development of lifelong friendships. We didn't have all the flashiest facilities or resources but we made the most of every situation,” Matthews says.
The Labour Weekend celebrations include a formal banquet dinner, a karaoke night, an archive exhibition, a history book launch and a special mass.
Chair of the organising committee, Tata Lawton, who is also a former pupil, says Hato Paora College has survived 75 years because of the support of many Māori communities in Aotearoa.
“Hato Pāora has been fortunate in that its very existence is due to Māori communities, particularly Ngāti Kauwhata, Whanganui, Manawatū, Taranaki, Horowhenua and Hawkes Bay whānau. They have remained staunch supporters of the kura and what it stands for along with the legacy of those early Catholic priests and brothers.”
The 75th Hato Paora Jubilee celebrations are from 21 – 24 October 2022. To register visit www.tinyurl.com/2t4dcsau or email jubilee@hatopaora.school.nz.
For more information visit www.paora75.org.nz.

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