Principal's Message

I would like to respond in more depth and in a more personal way with you, regarding the Otago Daily Times article about Kavanagh College in yesterday’s edition.

I had no knowledge of the named Brothers visible in a photographic representation of the history of previous schools that are part of Kavanagh College’s past, and there are no records of these accusations. However, it was certainly not our intent to cause any distress to survivors of sexual abuse in the Church, nor to past pupils and their whānau, therefore as soon as we found out through the ODT that this has happened, the boards were taken down and will remain down.

It is a currently a difficult position to be in as a Principal in a Catholic College. Finding a balance between recognising the positive history and honouring the positive traditions and experiences that make past pupils proud of their place in Catholic schooling in Dunedin, has become a real challenge in the last few years. I hope that our current whānau and wider community recognise the significant commitment we have made to the survivors of abuse, and to all the young people in our care as we undertake to begin a new, forward looking and exemplary history as Trinity Catholic College next year. This is a major project which is well underway, but it will take time to complete this process. We are committed to doing the right thing by all our community and we aim to bring people with us as we endeavour to meet people’s needs.

I do hope that you, as valued members of our college community can be reassured that the issue raised in the media was dealt with quickly and with empathy for those triggered by this article. As always, I want all whānau and visiting groups to feel manaakitanga, welcomed, valued, and safe within our college environment.

Ngā manaakitanga

Mrs Kate Nicholson

Principal