Exciting developments are underway for Catholic education in North Otago as St Joseph's School prepares to move to the St Kevin's College site. This relocation will bring the two schools under one combined Board, fostering a shared community, property, curriculum, and strategic goals.

The move has garnered support from both schools’ communities, the Bishop, the Catholic Education Office, and St Patrick's Parish. The schools share a Dominican charism and see the relocation as a positive opportunity for student transitions and educational growth.

Current Presiding Member of both Boards, Eugen Dupu sees only positive results from the changes.

“As the NZSBA Otago Regional Chair, I am aware of some schools that are struggling for Board members and Presiding Members. It makes sense for organisations such as the Catholic Education network to rethink their approaches to governance, deploy their stewardship resources efficiently and maximise the benefits for their students and the wider community.“ When asked if there was a risk of the primary school being subsumed by the College he replied, “No, I certainly don’t. In today’s educational landscape, ensuring that primary school students receive the essential building blocks for learning is critical to their success in later life. We see the two schools complementing each other. Together, our two institutions will combine their respective strengths—fostering a strong, growing, and connected community that allows every student to thrive.”

Both schools are exploring the Cambridge curriculum and see this as a point of difference which will provide greater choice for whānau. The Cambridge curriculum offers an alternative educational pathway to NCEA and is internationally recognised in over 169 countries. 

Construction is hoped to begin at the end of this year, with renowned architect and SKC Old Boy, Desmond Prisk leading the project. Mr Prisk is currently working on the SKC Stables project and has also been the project manager for the current upgrade on the St Patrick's Basilica. 

The future of the current St Joseph's site is being explored, with the hope that it will continue to support the school and parish. The Ministry of Education, the school Foundation, and the Diocese are all collaborating on this endeavour.

The new school will be a modern, warm, bright, and functional space with the capacity for up to 300 students, which will be completed in two phases of development, ensuring a bright future for Catholic education in the region.

Article added: Tuesday 25 February 2025