Figure 1.--
|
Figure 1.-- |
The facilities available at New Zealand schools varies greatly according to the type and size of the school. One urban state high school has over 2,000 students.
There are still a few small rural schools with only a few teachers, although for financial reasons most of these are being closed. The facilities thus are quite different at
the various schools. Private schools also vary. Many are very well equiped. Some of the new Christian schools have only the most basic facilities. We provide a description of facilities at representative schools, in many cases in the principal or students own words so you can see what is important to them.
New Zealand's state school system has a number of different types of schools, including Catholic and other private schools integrated into the state system. Most of the schools are very well equipped educational institutions. Most make extensive use of computers and have excellent libraries. Secondary school have very extensice atlletic and recreational facilities. Many schools have specialized facilities. Sophisticated media centers and fine arts facilities in particular have become very popular. The smaller rural schools, howerver, because of the limited number of students have few of the resources that most New Zealand schools can offer.
Most elementary schools have adequate facilities for primary-age students. Many have quite excellent libraries. Some of the smaller rural schools have more lmited facilities.
Omakau School is a full primary school catering for students whose ages range from 5 to 13 years (years 1-8). The school was established in 1935 and the current roll is only 59 pupils. The children come from two major areas:- those who travel to school from the out lying farms using the school bus and those who live in the township. The school has three full-time teachers. The morecspecialized needs of the children are managed by bring in specialist teachers to provide classes in Maori Language, Reading, and Special Needs.
Paengaroa School is a contributing primary school with years 1-6. The school inicates, " We have lots of wonderful Facilities including a sandpit with a playground in it just for the little kids and the big kids are not allowed to play in it. Instead they have an adventure playground which is only for the big kids. By the adventure playground there is a big hill and the flying fox goes down it, it's really fun. We also have rugby, soccer and hockey fields. There is also volleyball, netball, basketball and tennis courts. Around the outside of the field there is an obstacle course with about ten obstacles. We also have a sports shed that at lunch times and other times, you can get sports gear out of it. For rainy days we have covered walkways and we also have a big covered concrete area too. We have a P.T.A room for lunches and for fundraising days. We also have a computer room, reading recovery room and we also have a multi-purpose room. We have a dental clinic too. Our school is a very good educational school which has a good selection of facilities."
Paremoremo Primary School is fortunate to be well resourced and to have excellent facilities. The school has a swimming pool, which is shared with the local community. During the summer months the children have a swimming lesson every day. There is a "key" system operating so that the local community can have use of the pool outside school hours.
The school has recently added more activities on to the Adventure Playground to provide a more challenging and exciting play facility for the children. The school is very aware of the need to provide shade for the children so that they can escape from the harmful rays of the Sun. They have recently constructed a shaded seating area for the children so that they can get out of the Sun if they wish. The school has a well-stocked school library from which the children can borrow books for both home and school reading. It is planned to develop the Library into more of an Information Centre where children can gain access to information from a wide range of sources including computers and other information technology. The school has at least one computer in each classroom for the children to use for a variety of learning activities including word processing and inter-active fiction. The Classroom computers and the Library computer are fully networked so that resources can be shared and so that children can access information from any computer in the school. The school has a policy of continually updating the computers. Children have access to the resources of the Internet. They are able to use e-mail and have supervised access to the
information on the "World Wide Web." Students have been involved in the design and on-going maintenance of the school homepage.
Intermediate schools are generally larger than the primary schools withnmore elaboate libraries, workshops, athletic grounds and other facilities.
Howick Intermediate School: There are large playing fields located on the school grounds, including rugby and soccer fields, an artificial cricket pitch and several outdoor netball and basketball courts. Right next door is the Howick Recreation Centre which
our students use for after school indoor sports competitions. The school is also fortunate to possess its own large, heated swimming pool.
New Zealand high schools are very well equipped educational institutions. Most make extensive use of computers and have excellent libraries. The country's coed schools are the newest schools. There have been no sdingle-gender sdchools built in recent years. As a result the coed schools often have the best facilities among New Zealand secondary sdchools. Secondary school have very
extensice atlletic and recreational facilities. Many schools have specialized facilities. Sophisticated media centers and fine arts facilities in particular have become very
popular. The smaller rural schools, especially the areaa schools, howerver, because of the limited number of students have few of the resources that students in the larger urban schools enjoy.
The Catholic schools before integration generally had poorer facilities than comparable schools in the state system. Integration has provided the funds to upgrade the schools' facitities.
Sacred Heart Girl's College: The main College building was constructed in the 1950's, and upgraded following Integration in 1980,
to provide resources for contemporary education.
The College Chapel is used for class and small
group liturgies, and as a place for quiet
contemplation and prayer. Well equipped specialist rooms are in use for Home Economics, Art, Sciences, and Commerce, while a variety of teaching spaces provide for modern teaching methods in all subjects. A separate Music suite, with studios for instrumental tuition, and a free-standing Gymnasium with facilities for netball, basketball, badminton and squash are available for use by students. A new library, the Notre Dame Centre, was completed in July 1996. Facilities include the catalogue on computer and access to information on C.D. Rom and on the Internet. A
separate room for senior study is part of the complex. The St. Catherine's room, built with assistance from our sister school in Hikarigaoka, has video dubbing facilities as well as a computer able to be linked to a video camera. This library complex is available to all students.
/
New Zealand has one of the smallest private or independent school system of all the western democracies. Successive governments have made a concerted effort to absorb private schools through policies of reducing state support to private schools and generous financial enducements to schools agreeing to integration. Many parents, however preceive decling standards in the state system which is creating continued demand for private school education. Many of the established private schools are quite well equipped. Some of the newer Christian schools, however, have only minimal facilities.
Generally speaking the preparatory schools have the best facilities of the private elementary schools. In many cases they are, however, not as elaborate as the state-funded schools. They do generally have, however, much larger grounds than most state schools.
