/news/education/rss ob体育接口 Keep up with the latest in primary, secondary, and tertiary education news with Newstalk ob体育接口. Thu, 01 May 2025 00:05:39 Z en /news/education/education-minister-announces-100m-package-to-address-growing-school-rolls-new-primary-school-in-west-auckland/ /news/education/education-minister-announces-100m-package-to-address-growing-school-rolls-new-primary-school-in-west-auckland/ Education Minister Erica Stanford is expected to make an announcement on school property after a critical inquiry.  The inquiry, led by Murray McCully, criticised the handling of the $30 billion property portfolio.  Stanford also addressed the new sex education curriculum this morning.  A new 600-pupil primary school in West Auckland and an 18-classroom expansion for Ormiston Senior College are among the projects to be funded through a $100 million package to address growing school rolls. Education Minister Erica Stanford will speak today from Westgate, Auckland, to outline the funding package. It will be livestreamed at the top of this story. The announced $100m had been “freed up” through the Government’s drive for more standardisation in school property design, which she claimed had reduced the price per classroom by 28%. Last year, the Government indicated it would consider a new entity to manage the country’s school portfolio. An inquiry, led by former Foreign Affairs Minister and National MP Murray McCully, included scathing criticism of the ministry’s handling of the $30 billion property portfolio and found its ability to deliver cost-effective and timely development was lacking. Stanford said the new funding would progress several projects to help ease roll growth pressures, including a new 600-pupil primary school in Massey which would come with two “satellite learning support spaces” for Arohanui School in Te Atatū. It would also fund an 18-classroom expansion for Ormiston Senior College and a two-storey block of 10 new classrooms at Scott Point Primary School in Hobsonville. The package included upgrades for several kaupapa Māori schools. Two classrooms would be added to Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu in Rotorua, three new classrooms at Manutuke School in Gisborne and two new classrooms at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whakarewa I Te Reo Ki Tuwharetoa in Taupō. Te Kura Kaupapa o Hawaiki Hou in Gisborne would also get four new senior school classrooms and be given a permanent site after leasing an “unsuitable learning environment” for seven years, according to Stanford. “Detailed planning for all projects is underway, with construction set to begin soon after,” she said, stating her priority was to complete the projects as “quickly and efficiently as possible”. Stanford claimed the “reinvestment” had been made possible by improving the “cost-effectiveness of new builds using standard designs and offsite manufacturing”. Her press release did not detail the extent of cost savings but it claimed there had been a 28% reduction in the average cost of a classroom, a 30% increase in the number of classrooms delivered and a 35% increase in the “number of standardised or repeatable designs”. Education Minister Erica Stanford is expected to make a major announcement this morning.  Consultation opens for new sex education curriculum  Today’s announcement comes after consultation opened for the new sex education curriculum that Stanford hopes takes some heat away from the anxious schools.  Stanford told Newstalk ob体育接口’s Mike Hosking this morning that schools that feel too uncomfortable to confront aggressive communities and the new curriculum will have the government doing community consultation instead.  She said there would still be strong opinions, but hoped to shoulder the bulk of it.  “Direct that angst at me, do not direct it at your schools.  “I’d rather that I’d take the heat on that.”  The curriculum would be out for public consolation later this year.  “[The public opinion] is very split, which is why I am doing this, not asking schools to do it.”  Stanford said the old curriculum was dated and required schools to get feedback every two years.  “We have to say to parents ‘This is exactly what’s been taught. If you want to have a conversation in advance… or if you want to pull them out and do it yourself, or if you would like the school to do it, that is your choice’.”  She disputed claims that puberty was not being taught until secondary school and said it is in the curriculum from year 5.  Stanford also said talk about consent would be taught much earlier under the new course but wouldn’t start immediately in terms of sex and relationships until later.  Mon, 14 Apr 2025 20:37:47 Z /news/education/police-investigating-auckland-s-kingsway-school-teacher-over-assault-allegations/ /news/education/police-investigating-auckland-s-kingsway-school-teacher-over-assault-allegations/ Police are investigating a KingsWay School teacher over allegations of assault. The allegations involve what the Auckland Christian school’s executive principal Graeme Budler called “outdated disciplinary practices”, and relate to four students. The teacher has been put on paid leave, and counselling has been offered to those affected. A teacher at an Auckland Christian school is being investigated over allegations of assault. Police confirmed they were investigating the allegations made in relation to a teacher at KingsWay School, a state-integrated Christian school that runs a primary and secondary school across two North Auckland sites. “Our investigation remains in the early stages and we are speaking with victims and witnesses involved,” a police spokesman said in a media statement. “At this stage, we are unable to comment further.” Police are investigating allegations of assault made against a teacher - now on paid leave - from an Auckland school. Photo / Getty Images The school’s executive principal Graeme Budler said the teacher had been put on paid leave while the investigation takes place. “To the best of our knowledge this is an isolated matter, the allegations concern four students, and relate to outdated disciplinary practices that do not align with our school values, professional teaching standards, or New Zealand law,” Budler said in an emailed statement to the Herald. “We take allegations of misconduct very seriously and followed proper process including acting swiftly to notify the appropriate authorities.” Counselling had been offered to everyone affected, Budler said. The school was “also mindful of the risk of misinformation, especially in sensitive matters like this”, noting “the use of the word assault is very broad”, he said. “We are limited in what we can say while an investigation is under way.” They were fully cooperating with the investigation and would provide updates when appropriate, Budler said. “In the meantime, we ask that the privacy of the teacher and students is respected.” Almost 2000 pupils attend the year 1 to 13 school across its junior and senior campuses at Silverdale and Red Beach, respectively. The school works in partnership with Christian parents to provide “a Christian-centred learning environment based on Biblical truth and practice as recognised by adherents of the evangelical Christian faith”, according to its website. It strived to provide students “with a stimulating and safe environment to support meaningful learning”. “Most importantly, we insist on appointing quality, committed, enthusiastic and talented Christian teachers passionate about educating young people. “We value our staff and are committed to equipping our educators to engage your child in a learning journey that is exciting, authentic and, importantly, Christ-centred.” Wed, 09 Apr 2025 01:29:00 Z /news/education/to-be-or-not-to-be-draft-english-curriculum-proposes-compulsory-shakespeare-for-seniors/ /news/education/to-be-or-not-to-be-draft-english-curriculum-proposes-compulsory-shakespeare-for-seniors/ By John Gerritsen for RNZ The draft Year 7-13 English curriculum proposes compulsory Shakespeare and spelling lessons for senior students. The draft includes a list of suggested texts but lacks reference to Te Mātaiaho. NZ Association of Teachers of English President Pip Tinning raised concerns about the curriculum’s focus and structure. The draft Year 7-13 English curriculum proposes compulsory Shakespeare for senior secondary school students and spelling and keyboard lessons for children at intermediate schools. Published this week, the draft came with a list of “suggested” texts, including the World War Two speeches of Winston Churchill and the poem Ozymandias by Percy Shelley. Missing from the document was any reference to Te Mātaiaho, the framework that underpinned other recently rewritten curriculums. Development of the draft was controversial because of the make-up of the writing group and early suggestions the curriculum would be heavily weighted toward European male authors. Association of Teachers of English last year walked away from the process. Information published with the draft said it was structured so students in years 7 and 8 would “establish foundational skills in reading, writing, and oral language, transitioning into text studies and language studies from years 9 to 13”. The draft said students in years 7 and 8 should learn to “handwrite with stamina and fluency while maintaining legibility, size, spacing, and slope” and to type efficiently and accurately. They would also learn to spell, write complex sentences, and use colons and semicolons. By years 9 and 10, students would know they needed to use accurate grammar and punctuation. The draft said at all year levels, “students must experience historical and contemporary texts that are widely regarded as high quality”. Those texts “must include: seminal texts, which are important writings, such as books, stories, or poems, that have played a significant role in helping people appreciate and understand texts; these texts are valued because they introduce key ideas and ways of thinking; texts by Aotearoa New Zealand authors; texts from around the world; texts from popular and youth cultures; texts students have chosen for personal interest and enjoyment”. At both year 12 and 13, the texts must include a work by Shakespeare and a text from the 19th century. The draft Year 7-13 English curriculum proposes compulsory Shakespeare. Photo / ob体育接口 The suggested text list included the poetry of World War One poets and Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech for years 9 and 10, and at year 12, 1984 by George Orwell and the World War Two speeches of Winston Churchill. The suggested texts list also included New Zealand works. For years 7 to 10, the included Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea by Tania Roxborogh, Annual by Kate de Goldi and Susan Paris, and selected poems by Hone Tuwahare. At year 13, they included, Auē by Becky Manawatu and Shuriken by Vincent O’Sullivan. Association of Teachers of English President Pip Tinning said teachers would want to know why Shakespeare and 19th century authors should be compulsory for senior students. She said there were likely to be a range of views about the draft. “I know that there will be teachers who are looking at this and feeling really happy, but I know that there’s going to be a lot of teachers who will look at this and be questioning some of the choices. The draft removed previous references to New Zealand literature as a taonga for young people, she said. “We need to be really clear that our young people deserve to have a really good understanding of what is so valuable and important about New Zealand literature and the writers and thinkers of Aotearoa New Zealand,” she said. Tinning said other recently rewritten curriculums were structured around the idea students should Understand, Know, Do, but the year 7 to 13 English draft included only Know and Do. The draft also had no reference to Te Mātaiaho, the framework underpinning the entire curriculum refresh and referred to in the other recently redrafted curriculums such as year 7 to 13 maths. “It seems strange that mathematics has Te Mātaiaho still very clearly sitting in it in terms of that framework, but that’s gone from English. It seems really bizarre that the Understand, Know, Do structure that is sitting in mathematics, has disappeared or been changed quite dramatically for English. I would love to hear what that philosophy is,” Tinning said. “All of our curriculum areas, when we look at all the different subjects, there still needs to be some alignment. It needs to have some clarity around what structures we all use and teach, and keep in mind ... so when one is quite different to another, you have a misalignment around how we teach.” The full draft list How many of the films have you seen or stories have you read? Here’s what’s on the list: Year 7 and 8 Extended text Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea by Tania Roxborogh Holes by Louis Sachar The Breadwinner by Debroah Ellis Poetry Selected poems by Hone Tuwhare, including Rain Annual by Kate de Goldi and Susan Paris The Red Wheelbarrow and other poems by William Carlos Williams Drama School Journal Level 4 War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (stage adaptation by National Theatre) Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (adapted for stage) Film Wonder, directed by Stephen Chbosky Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki Bridge to Terabithia, directed by Gábor Csupó Other School Journal Level 4 Malala Yousafzai’s United Nations Speech (2013) I am Eleven, directed by Genevieve Bailey A scene from Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away'. Year 9 and 10 Extended text Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden The Pōrangi Boy by Shilo Kino The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness Poetry Poetry of WWI Poets Still I Rise and other poems by Maya Angelou The Shape of Words and other poems by Glenn Colquhoun Drama Macbeth by William Shakespeare Maui and Sina by Helen Tauau Filisi Rēwena by Whiti Hereaka Film Fantastic Mr Fox by Wes Anderson Two Cars, One Night by Taika Waititi Whale Rider by Niki Caro Other I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King The Dream Sleepers and other stories by Patricia Grace Pounamu, Pounamu by Witi Ihimaera Two Cars, One Night, a short film by Taika Waititi Year 11 Extended text Lord of the Flies by William Golding T.H.U.G. by Angie Thomas Bugs by Whiti Hereaka Poetry Ozymandias and others by Percy Bysshe Shelley Small holes in the silence: collected poems by Hone Tuwhare Unity and collected poems by Selina Tusitala Marsh Drama Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare The Crucible by Arthur Miller Krisnan’s Dairy by Jacob Rajan Films The Hate U Give by George Tillman Jr. Romeo and Juliet by Baz Luhrmann Little Women by Geta Gerwig Other All who live on islands by Rose Lu Pūrākau by Witi Ihimaera and Whiti Hereaka How False News Can Spread by Noah Tavlin Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. Year 12 Extended text 1984 by George Orwell The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Leaves of the Banyan Tree by Albert Wendt Poetry Shakesperean Sonnets Edgar Allen Poe - The Raven and others The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy Drama Hamlet by William Shakespeare A Streetcar Named Desire by Tenessee Williams Dawn Raids by Oscar Kightley Films Testament of Youth directed by James Kent Waru Collection by Briar Grace-Smith, Casey Kaa, Ainsley Gardiner, Katie Wolfe, Renae Maihi, Chelsea Cohen, Paula Whetu Jones, Awanui SimichPene The Truman Show by Peter Weir Other The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman World War II Speeches of Churchill The Truman Show. Year 13 Extended text Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen Auē by Becky Manawatu Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Poetry The Waste Land by T.S Eliot Home and other poems by Warsan Shire Ariel by Sylvia Plath Drama Othello by William Shakespeare A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Shuriken by Vincent O’Sullivan Films Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky Cousins by Briar Grace-Smith and Ainsley Gardiner Other Dubliners by James Joyce Planet Earth by BBC and David Attenborough The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  Natalie Portman in a scene from Black Swan. Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:31:22 Z /news/education/m%C4%81ori-mum-of-seven-antoinette-ranapia-pursues-dream-to-train-as-mechanic-at-49/ /news/education/m%C4%81ori-mum-of-seven-antoinette-ranapia-pursues-dream-to-train-as-mechanic-at-49/ Antoinette Ranapia, a mother of seven, is training to become a mechanic at MIT. She is part of a growing group of Māori and Pasifika students at MIT and Unitec. Student numbers have risen 8.9% in a year, according to executive director Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga. Mum of seven Antoinette Ranapia used to watch her dad and uncles with their heads under the hoods of cars in hometown Ōpōtiki, “tutuing” with the motors. Those were the days when New Zealand was a country of do-it-yourselfers and most whānau had a backyard mechanic in the house. “I grew up around men like dad, uncles, brothers who all knew about cars,” Antoinette told the Herald. Now the 49-year-old nana of four is following in her dad’s tyre prints and has signed on for a two and a half year course in automotive engineering - to become a mechanic. My brothers know all about cars and I thought - why not me? Antoinette Ranapia MIT and Unitec executive director Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga said student numbers for 2025 are up 8.9% on the same time last year – and Māori and Pasifika student numbers have increased even more: 9.9% at MIT and 9.3% at Unitec. Antoinette (Whakatohea, Ngai Tamahaua) told the Herald she always wanted to be a mechanic, but motherhood brought different priorities. Antoinette Ranapia (centre) with her seven children and three of her mokos. But with two of her children no longer at home, and her marriage behind her, Ranapia decided it was time to take a leap and go back to school. All her children - Justus 30, Genesis 25, Gabrielle 22, Ducati 19, Jaxon 15, Hope 12, Catherine 12, and her mokopuna Daesyn 7, Unity 6, Olivia 4, and Niklaus 2 - are right behind her, she said. “I was doing traffic management working on the roads at nights, so I could still manage the children who were home,” Ranapia said. “I pretty much know my basics like doing an oil change and changing tyres” she told the Herald. “But my brothers know all about cars and I thought, why not me? “Then I saw the course at MIT and thought - why not. “The kids love that I’m back at school. We’ve had to tweak our schedule but they are very supportive of me. Former National Party MP Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga is now executive director of MIT and Unitec. He told the Herald student numbers are up 8.9% on last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell Lotu-Iiga said student numbers for the NZ Certificate of Automotive Engineering (Level 3) are up 10.5% this year. “Our places [are] community hubs where people can learn skills and connect with industry in an environment that supports their overall wellbeing,” he said. “We have a vital role to play ... to transition our communities towards high-value employment.” And Ranapia’s goals have now exceeded being able to fix her own car. “I’d like to work on the big machinery, like they use in the mines in Australia,” she said. Mum of 7 Antoinette Ranapia is studying to be a mechanic. Photo / Michael Craig. Jay Kumar, deputy head of the MIT’s Automotive Engineering School, said Antoinette might be the oldest student in this years cohort of 200 students but she is not the oldest to have passed through the doors of its automotive engineering school. He said most students are aged between 16-21, but the programme appeals to mature students like Ranapia because they can work three days a week while studying. MIT deputy head of automotive engineering Jay Kumar. “They can work, study, run their families, live a good life while upskilling” he said. “Antoinette is a very good student and I am confident she will succeed.” In 2021 a 61-yer-old Samoan man signed up for the course. “He said to me, life is short” said Kumar. “After he graduated, he walked into an automotive workshop in Wiri not far from MIT to introduce himself and was hired on the spot.” Fri, 28 Mar 2025 19:53:12 Z /news/education/state-integrated-whanganui-collegiate-s-optional-10-000-fee-shocks-parent/ /news/education/state-integrated-whanganui-collegiate-s-optional-10-000-fee-shocks-parent/ A Waikato man is outraged by Whanganui Collegiate’s $10,000 optional fee for day students. The fee, nearly doubled since 2020, covers access to boarding facilities and activities. Other integrated schools class similar payments as donations, which are eligible for tax credits. By John Gerritsen, RNZ A Waikato man is outraged by a $10,000 fee charged by one of the country’s most expensive integrated state schools. Whanganui Collegiate’s optional fee covers day students' use of boarding and other facilities owned by the school’s proprietor – the Wanganui College Board of Trustees – and has nearly doubled since 2020. The payment gives day students access to activities, including tutor support and sports events that take place in property owned by the school’s proprietor but not part of its integration agreement with the Government. The optional charge is on top of a compulsory $2760 “attendance due” that all integrated schools are allowed to charge to cover property costs. Craig Sinclair told RNZ six of his eight children had attended the school in recent years, and some would still be there if it were not for the fee. He said other integrated schools asked for similar payments as a donation, which was eligible for a tax credit, and they also charged less than collegiate. “I just want Whanganui Collegiate to have their charges similar to Rathkeale, Lindisfarne, Woodford House, all the other state integrated schools in the lower North Island, who have attendance dues and for the day kids the other contributions are via donation,” he said. The school’s 2025 fee schedule showed day students were charged an attendance due of $2760 and an optional fee for use of boarding facilities of $10,080. The amount requested has nearly doubled since 2020 when it was $5585 though at that time a board donation of $900 was also requested. The school’s fees information described the charge as an optional purchase of goods and services. It said: “Opting into non-integrated facilities for day students provides access to ‘prep’ spaces during the school day, tutor support, pastoral care support from the Health Centre, housemasters, residential masters and matrons, with House supervision during timetabled breaks. “As an Anglican school, it contributes to our faith and chaplaincy. NIFfDS students participate in all inter-house sport and cultural competitions, co-curricular activities such as the inter-house swimming, athletics and cross-country events, house music, tikanga and other school-wide house activities. These services from the proprietor are all extra to the full learning programme provided by the school’s board and staff.” Whanganui Collegiate headmaster Wayne Brown told RNZ in a statement the school classified the payment as an optional fee for goods and services because it covered the specific costs associated with providing, maintaining, and administering the proprietor-owned boarding facilities. “Unlike a donation – which is given without an expectation of a direct return – this fee is directly linked to the provision of many defined services. Each year we work closely with the Ministry of Education who look at our processes. Each year our accounts, school and proprietor are fully audited. “In practice, our families choose to pay this fee, recognising the value of the additional facilities, and services which creates our strong house culture at WCS. At WCS, we have only had one family that has not opted into our fee structure as families see the value in it. If we had families that would consider not to pay, access to these particular facilities and staff would not be provided. However, this would in no way affect the quality of the integrated education and core services that all students receive.” Other integrated schools' fee information showed they classed similar payments as donations. Woodford House asked day students for a $6053 “special character donation” and a building contribution of $1997. Rathkeale College requested a tuition and tuition facilities donation of $7510 for senior students while Lindisfarne College asked for an $8700 voluntary parental contribution for facilities that were not part of the integrated school. The act that governed integration of private schools into the state system said “financial contributions other than attendance dues shall be made on a voluntary basis and no pupil shall be refused enrolment because of the unwillingness of the parents to make such contributions”. Advice to schools on the charges and donations they could request said schools could not “exclude students from trips or activities that are part of curriculum delivery because of their parents' inability or unwillingness to pay a requested donation”. Education Ministry figures showed collegiate had 437 students last year – 259 boys and 178 girls. The figure included 40 international students. In 2019 it had 441 students including 58 international fee-paying students. The school converted from private to state-integrated at the start of 2013, saving it from closure by increasing its government funding. The Education Ministry warned at the time that parents would feel considerable pressure to make voluntary payments and that Whanganui did not need another state school. Mon, 10 Mar 2025 02:43:27 Z /news/education/are-private-schools-better-than-public-schools-in-new-zealand/ /news/education/are-private-schools-better-than-public-schools-in-new-zealand/ A High Court judge ruled the daughter would attend St Cuthbert’s College, favouring its facilities and support for a suspected learning disability. The father preferred a state school for its diversity, but the judge cited research on single-sex schools' benefits. The case highlights debates on private vs state education, diversity, class sizes, and learning disabilities. By Serena Solomon of RNZ The mother wanted her daughter to attend an elite private school, viewing its small class sizes, excellent facilities and stellar academic record as a “golden ticket” to success. The father wanted the child to go to a state school, citing the likelihood of a diverse student body that would give his daughter a well-rounded education. Not to mention the girl’s sibling also attends a state school. The decision that the daughter would attend St Cuthbert’s College, an all-girls Christian school in Auckland, was ultimately decided by a High Court judge detailed in a recently released ruling from last year. The identity of the parents and child were withheld by the court and there is a lot we don’t know or can’t reveal about those involved – their ethnicity, their socioeconomic background, their culture or religion, and how far the student will have to travel to St Cuthbert’s. The case does give us an inside look at two parents and a judge weighing the perceived benefits of a private versus state education. It’s a debate with a growing body of research that can sometimes muddy the water rather than bring more clarity for parents. And of course, the case shows a divided family, which can have its own negative repercussions for a child. St Cuthbert's College is one of New Zealand's best-performing schools for academic results. (Image: St Cuthbert's) The judge, while validating some of the father’s concerns, sided with the mother due to St Cuthbert’s likely being able to cater to the child’s suspected learning disability and research that indicates female students perform better in single-sex schools. During the initial court case, the daughter said she was ambivalent to what school she attended but later, during the appeal, said she preferred St Cuthbert’s. The case raised a lot about what may or may not go into a good education and how much that trickles into the goal of it all: happiness and satisfaction throughout adult life. The answer to this dilemma will be unique for every student. “You know if you can find a really good public school, then it’s probably just as good as a private school, but I would say probably the public system is more variable,” said Dr Michael Johnson from public policy think tank, New Zealand Initiative. “You need at least a reasonably orderly environment for learning to take place well, and if the school is chaotic, then that’s not good.” Here’s what experts had to say about the issues raised in the case: Diversity in the student body The father expressed concern that his child would be primarily exposed to privileged families in St Cuthbert’s student body, which isn’t representative of New Zealand’s population. For Brian Marsh, a learning and development fellow from the University of Auckland, the father’s viewpoint on diversity “has my sympathy,” adding that diversity was a key reason he sent his children to a state school. “The reality of modern life is that we are all going to encounter all different sorts of people in our futures and the important part for me was that my children would be able to understand, cope and empathise with the needs of a wide variety of people, whom they would encounter in their future workplaces and social environments.” Johnston pointed to diversity of thought and opinion as an important factor. However, if the student body didn’t organically bring a diverse mix of viewpoints, a good teacher should be able to bring that to a lesson. “That’s really important about education is using your knowledge to form ideas and contest them with other people’s ideas,” said Johnston, noting that he is not aware of hard evidence that ethnic diversity leads to better academic outcomes. Small class sizes and school facilities What the ideal class size is – small, medium or large – is far from settled science. In Professor John Hattie’s much respected, but much critiqued meta-analysis from 2009, reducing class size was far down the list of effective learning strategies, coming in at No 106 out of 138. (He defined this as reducing size from 25 to 15 students.) “When the class sizes get very small it probably does make a difference because students can get more individualised attention,” said Johnson. “But certainly the provision of more resources is going to help achievement if they’re well used, but it’s a question of how resources are used.” (More individual treatment of students, made easier with a higher teacher-to-student ratio can benefit those with a learning disability but more on that later.) St Cuthbert’s has a range of facilities including an indoor pool, indoor sport facilities and gym, a visual arts centre, libraries and a performing arts centre. Those are all marketing candy for parents and students, said Stuart Deerness, senior education lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology, but there is no research evidence that it impacts academic results or university entrance. “But honestly, there’s a number of studies that show that the family [socioeconomic] background is a much bigger factor in how kids do.” There are also non-economic costs to consider when sending a child to a private (or high-achieving state-school) that is far from home. A long commute can take away from family time and bring added stress to parents while plucking a child from their community and existing friendship circle, Deerness added. A ‘golden ticket’ to the good life The court cases pointed to a big disparity between the percentage of St Cuthbert’s students that typically get accepted to university versus the daughter’s state school option: 94.1% compared to about 50%. University acceptance is often used as a key measure of a school’s success, and there’s a reason for it. “There is substantial evidence that attending university and obtaining higher education improves life outcomes,” wrote Dr Tanya Evans from the mathematics department at the University of Auckland. Higher education is associated with better health outcomes, such as a lower risk of diabetes and a longer life expectancy. University graduates typically earn more over their life, have stronger family connections and greater job satisfaction. However, this data-driven view overlooks people who do apprenticeships, who go on to satisfying careers without worrying about university debt or those who decide to be stay-at-home parents, said professor Karen Nairn from the University of Otago’s College of Education. She questioned the increasing focus on university education as a must-have, especially when “there are students who are here, not because they want to be here, but because their parents expect them to come to university”. Learning disabilities The case mentioned the possibility of a mild learning disability and that St Cuthbert’s has an educational psychologist on site, which is an advantage for students who need extra help. Resources for learning disabilities is an often-cited reason for parents taking their child’s education private, said Deerness. However, there is no evidence that students with learning disabilities do better in the private system, according to Johnson. Nairn pointed out the amount of resources a parent could fund for support with learning disabilities in lieu of the $30,000 annual school fees at St Cuthbert’s. “You can, if you want to, provide a whole set of experiences and tuition for music, speech and so forth.” Same-sex schools vs single-sex schools The judge said girls do better academically in single-sex schools, and he is not wrong, but it isn’t the only measure to consider. Ultimately it comes down to the individual child and how their unique traits and needs will benefit from the schools you are considering. Thu, 27 Feb 2025 02:24:43 Z