Former parents and teachers of Otumoetai Primary School are banding together to shame the school, following a decision being made to remove a historic classroom from the grounds.

In July, the school's Board of Trustees voted to remove the 115-year-old building from school grounds, handing it over to the Ministry of Education.

Alys-Ingrid Wicksteed and Ross List feel the classroom should stay where it is.

The vote has saddened many former pupils and teachers who want the classroom to remain a historic reminder of what early education was like – and together they are fighting for it to stay.

Former pupil Ross List attended the school in 1942 and feels the classroom should stay where it is.

'We want to shame the board into keeping it on site.”

Ross wants to see the classroom set up as a museum featuring some of the classrooms original contents including desks and ink wells.

'I want to see it reinstated into its old form. Moving it off the site will lose its mana [pride]. I think we should preserve what we've got.”

Ross says he and many other former pupils planted some of the bushes and greenery still standing around the building, and this is one of the reasons they want it to stay where it is.

'We as kids contributed to that.”

Relocating the building to somewhere like the Historic Village, where a historic Mount Maunganui Primary School classroom stands, will not have the same effect, adds Ross.

Tauranga resident Bryan Darragh, who attended the school in 1947, agrees the building should be restored to its original state and left on-site.

'I just feel it is part of the history of early education in Tauranga, and Otumoetai in particular, and it really is a travesty if the rooms are taken away. I think that they should be kept as an example of what the facilities were back in the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s.

'We have so little historic reminders in the way of buildings here.”

Alys-Ingrid Wicksteed attended the school in 1948 and also wants the classroom, and native bush surrounding the building, restored.

'Otumoetai is a significant place. It was a community-based area. Everything happened there – especially everything around the school building.

'We want to encourage everybody who is interested in preserving the classroom and the native bush.”

A submission was made to the board on July 19, explaining the views of 15 former students, staff, parents, school committee and Board of Trustees members and two Huria Marae Kaumatua – some of whom attended the school 65 years ago.

At a final meeting in July, principal Geoff Opie explained the building is currently considered part of the primary's total site, but says the Ministry of Education allows each school a maximum 22 square metre area of floor space. To stay within its quota, and cater for an influx of 6-7 year-old students, the school has to say goodbye to the building.

While appreciating the building's historic significance, Geoff says a practical outcome is needed to benefit current students.

Otumoetai Primary School was the third state school to be established in Tauranga. Built at a cost of £169 ready for the new school year in February, 1887, it was a simple, small, 30 feet by 18 feet structure accommodating a roll of 28 pupils.

In 1926 the school's roll grew to 40 students. An extension to the original room was constructed and made into two classrooms. The building has been moved twice in the last 115 years to new sites within the school grounds.

The classroom is currently used for an after school care programme, operating via the Otumoetai Plunket Group for the last 15 years.

Call Alys on 07 570 1914 or Ross on 07 577 0203 if you are interested in getting behind the former students.