Report into college future soon to be completed

Selwyn College on Castle St, Dunedin. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
Selwyn College on Castle St, Dunedin. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
A report on the future of Anglican ownership of Dunedin's Selwyn College should be completed by the end of the year.

The timing of a final decision on the matter, however, is uncertain.

Late last year the church promised consultation on its plans to sell the college.

That followed a decision by the church synod to end what is now 126 years of Anglican ownership after it voted to allow the sale of the buildings and business.

But the plan was vigorously opposed by some, including 280 Selwyn residents and former residents who signed a petition calling for church involvement to continue at the college.

An independent panel was put together to consider the matter, and has finished meeting people who had requested face-to-face submissions.

A church spokesman said the panel was drafting models of a possible way forward based on submissions, and the panel's own knowledge of the matter, as all had experience in Anglican-affiliated educational or residential institutions.

Once the panel's report was done, it would be given to Dunedin Bishop the Rt Rev Dr Steven Benford and the diocesan council, and a decision made on the way forward.

It was likely there would be either a stand-alone decision-making synod to deal with the issue, or the matter could be considered as part of a synod scheduled next September.

It was likely to be sooner than that, though that was not certain, the spokesman said.

Comments

Why sell off the one part of their activity that isn't shrinking?

 

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