Three schools for teenagers with complex needs remain in limbo a year after the United Nations urged the Government to close them down.
Despite the election coming up, neither National or Labour will weigh in on the future of the residential specialist schools.
One of the schools is Christchurch's Halswell Residential College. Principal Janine Harrington says the transformation for some students is remarkable.
"Typically our students have an intellectual impairment or are neurodiverse. They may be autistic and a number of them have disengaged from education so it wouldn't be uncommon for us to enroll a student who hasn't been in the education system for two years."
The schools are for secondary school students with complex needs who often struggle in mainstream education. The students live and learn on site.
The rolls at the three schools are low with just 18 students between them in 2021. There's been an uptick, particularly this year, to 38 students but that's well below the 84 they're funded for.
Education Minister Jan Tinetti has expressed her support for the schools previously and kicked off a plan to expand their strict enrolment criteria. But that was paused after the United Nations last September recommended the schools be closed all together.
The UN report stated: "The committee recommended that New Zealand develop a comprehensive deinstitutionalisation strategy."
It went on to recommend the Government "close all residential institutions, including group homes and residential specialist schools".
Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker said she is concerned because she wants to see the commitment to disabled students getting the support they need.
"The longer that resource and the more resource that is put into residential schools, the less resource is available to other schools to be able to support the needs of disabled learners."
But Harrington said there's a lot of confusion about the role the schools play.
"I think there's been a lot of criticism of residential specialist schools because people don't understand we are not the residential schools of old.
"We are no longer a destination. We are a short term intervention that provides the skills that young people need to engage in education."
As well as Halswell Residential College, there's Salisbury School in Nelson and Westbridge Residential School in Auckland.
Nick Armstrong is on Salisbury School's board of trustees after his daughter Molly attended the school.
"Her trajectory has changed enormously, we can actually picture the future for her now and have her really successful. She makes friends, understand social situations."
He said the schools can play a role in an inclusive education system.
"Our success is really judged on can we transition them back successfully to their home school and for them to be successful."
While last year Sailsbury School had just four students, Ministry of Education figures shows that's now at 13. Although Armstrong said the most updated number is 16 — students which he puts down to a growing awareness of the roles the schools can play in helping teenagers.
Tinetti said if she remains education minister "recommendations will be brought to Cabinet before the end of this year".
National's education spokesperson Erica Stanford said "we need to take a closer look at how best we can provide these young people with a quality education they deserve".
Whichever party is in government next term, these schools and students will likely remain in limbo for a little while longer.
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