Chairperson of the Upper Hutt College Board (formerly known as the Board of Trustees) Garth Johnson, explains some of the mahi and issues that the Board has been dealing with.

Kia ora everyone

What a challenging year this has been, and it has only just begun! Hopefully we will see an improvement as the year progresses.  At our last Board meeting we were looking back over the time since we took office in 2019. There have been many challenges for us as parent representatives during that time - it is certainly not a job for the faint-hearted. However, we have taken a leaf from our students, and proved that we are resilient, flexible and willing to do what it takes to see our tamariki succeed.

Whether that was working with the Ministry of Education to refurbish rooms to take classes that were affected by the 2019 fire, or ensuring UHC had sufficient devices for learning@home in 2020, or being good employers by committing to pay our low wage employees and contractors the Living Wage, it has been a busy few years! These actions, along with the planning for property improvements, or running the disciplinary meetings for those students who find themselves suspended, means the Board dedicates a significant amount of our spare time to ensuring that UHC is, and remains, the best college in the Wellington region.  

This year is a Parent Representative election year. The election is set for early September, and we have already started the process by appointing a Returning Officer to oversee the election.  I would encourage parents to give thought to becoming a School Board parent representative for UHC. 

But be aware, as I mentioned earlier, it is not a job for the faint-hearted. You must have a degree of patience and drive to think strategically about the future of the college. This must also be balanced out with ensuring the staff have the resources necessary to help out tamariki achieve and become good global citizens. The reward? Seeing our tamariki achieve their goals, seeing teachers becoming the best versions of themselves, seeing Upper Hutt College become the College that students want to come to.

If you need more information, grab any one of us to have a chat. I promise that we don't bite!

Nga mihi,

Garth Johnson
Board Chair

Upper Hutt College - Te Kareti o Remutaka