Figure 1.--Many state and private schools in New Zealand have excellent libraries with a wide range of research materials.
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Figure 1.--Many state and private schools in New Zealand have excellent libraries with a wide range of research materials. |
Most New Zealand schools have well-equipped physical plants. Facilities vary, primarily depending on the size of school. There are large schools with over 1,000 pupils with elaborate facilities. There are also small rural elementary schools with only the most baic facilities. The most basic and single most important facility is the classroom. Most New Zealand schools, including both private and state schools are purpse-built school facilities. The classroom facilities vary widely from school to school. New Zealand is one of the most "on-line" countries in the world. New Zealand schools are installing increasingly sophisticated computer facilities. Computers prices have fallen to the level that they are more and more affordable to schools. New Zealand schools, like American schools, usually have well stocked libraries, in contrast to the lack of attention often given to libraries in British schools. Elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools almost always have excellent libraries. Most schools have modern music suites including classrooms, often with elaborate equipment such as electronic keyboards, as well as practice rooms for individuals or small groups and coral music. Classroom music is usually available at each form level. Most New Zealand intermediate and secondary schools have very well equipped workshops. The secondary schools in particular have specialized wood working and metal working shops. They serve both to provide an introfduction to students pursuing academic programs and important vocational training for students planning careers in manual arts. New Zealand schools put a heavy emphasis on physical education. Schools have extensive facilities for physical education, gymnastics, and sports such as basketball, badminton, and volleyball. Most schools also have weight rooms.
The most basic and single most important facility is the classroom. Most New Zealand schools, including both private and state schools are purpse-built school facilities. The classroom facilities vary widely from school to school. Many New Zealand children one attended small rural schools. This is no longer the case. The smaller rural schools have increasingly been closed and the children bused to larger schools in population centers. Thus there is today a rough equivalent in both urban and rural schools. New Zealand clssrooms are for the most part well equiped. Many provide bright airy envirments for the children. The schools when we visited were just beginning to integrate the computer into classroom activities. Most schools have modern functional school furniture. The classes were well ewquipped with green boards and maps. Primary teachers scow considerable imaginatin in how they decorate the room. Secondary class rooms tend to have traditional layouts with althe desks pointed ton the fromt where the teacher is located. Primary classrooms tend to be more flexible, felecting the teachers' and schools attitudes toward classroom organization. Many primary teachers try to create cozy little places where children can read or persue other activities.
New Zealand is one of the most "on-line" countries in the world. New Zealand schools are installing increasingly sophisticated computer facilities. Computers prices have fallen to the level that they are more and more affordable to schools. The utilization of computers is somewhat impaired because of the limited computer skills of teachers. Older teachers often have had little experience. Often female teachers have more limited computer skills than their male counterparts, presumably because boys tend to be much more interested in computers than girls. Many students often are more computer literate than their teachers, but this is uneven, especially children from lower income families that are less likely to have a computer at home. Newer teachers now entering schools often have excellent computer skills and this is enabling many schools to more fully utilize the new equipment. While educational software is still only making marginal use of the computer's capability, schools are beginning to make significant use of the computers.
Schools are now beginning to participate in computer competitions. The Otago Computers in Education Society, for example, sponsors a Computer Olympics.
Computer facilities and usage vary widely from school to school. Representative facilities include:
Greymouth High School: The schools' computer room is often jammed during lunch.
(John) McGlashan College: The school's computer room is not only used during lunch, but after school and on some evenings as well.
Marlborough Boys College: The school has two computer rooms with an extensive network system. The computers in one room is available to all departments. The other room is largely reserved for senior computer studies.
Shirley Boys' High School: The library has extensive computer facilities available to students. Students were using the computers in many class activities. One group was using the internet to communicate with students in South africa as part of a geography project. The response provided a whole new view to the country. (See box.)
Figure 2.--Most New Zealand intermediate and secondary schools have very well equipped workshops. This boy is working on a carpentry project. |
New Zealand schools, like American schools, usually have well stocked libraries, in contrast to the lack of attention often given to libraries in British schools. Elementary, intermediate, and secondary schools almost always have excellent libraries. Many secondary schools may have libraries with 10,000 books. The library at Cashmere has 12,500 volumes. The libraries are no longer mere repositories for books, but many are multimedia centers and often have changed their name to reflect their expanded role. Libraries are now often called information centers. The greatest change that the librarians have faced is the increasing role of the computer.
Most schools have modern music suites including classrooms, often with elaborate equipment such as electronic keyboards, as well as practice rooms for individuals or small groups and coral music. Classroom music is usually available at each form level.
Most New Zealand intermediate and secondary schools have very well equipped workshops. The secondary schools in particular have specialized wood working and metal working shops. They serve both to provide an introfduction to students pursuing academic programs and important vocational training for students planning careers in manual arts.
New Zealand schools put a heavy emphasis on physical education. Schools have extensive facilities for physical education, gymnastics, and sports such as basketball, badminton, and volleyball. Most schools also have weight rooms.
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.
