Figure 1.--The key to the success of any school is the competency of the staff and the relationship they develop with their students. |
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The composition of the staff at New Zealand schools has changed significantly at New Zealand schools over the past generation. There are many more women as well as substanially more Maori teachers. The staff is also much better educated.
Facilities are important to any school and can really add to any program, but of course the essential part of any school is the staff. We found teachers in England getting excellent results at some preparatory schools with very basic facilities, even barebones classrooms and very small libraries. New Zealand schools tell to be very well equipped, although facilities at small rural schools are of necessity limited. Even so, it is the teachers who determine the quality of education achieved.
Principals at elementary schools are still mostly men, but there are now also many women principals, in part because the great majority of elementary school teachers are women. Principals at secondary schools are mostly men, except for girls' schools. There are only a few women principals at coed secondary schools. The first on South Island was Roz Heinz (Hagley High School). Many early school heads were called head masters following the English fashion. Some still re, especially at private schools. Today the term principal with a destincr American ring seems more common.
New Zealand has an excellent corps of well trained teachers. Qualifications vary. Most primary teachers have university degrees, primarily a Bachelor of Education and a Diplma of Education. Secondary teachers are more likely to have degrees in their subject areas as well as advanced degrees. New Zealand teachers generally have an easy going, informal way with their students, especially at the primary level. Of course this varies from school to school as well with the personality of the individual teacher. Discipline at secondary schools used to be stricter than today and a generally more forml atmosphere was common. Modern secondary teachers have generally adopted a more informal relatonship and classroom atmposhere. Here the growing number of women teachers and the secondary level has probably had some impact.
Many New Zealand scgools have foreign teachers. There are often teachers from England or other English speaking country on staff. Some are involved in formal exchange programs. Others have decided to work in New Zealand for varying periods.
Previously we had two South African teachers here, but this year our numbers have been boosted to four out of our eight teaching staff. So you can imagine our jovial banter and stirring that occurs whenever NZ plays NZ in rugby or cricket. One staff member was even moved to wear her husband's SA rugby jersey to school, when they eventually won a match--we say that is a rare occassion. But we're happy to have Vee Singh and Lynda Staples joining our team at Kaeo.
New Zealand teachers have a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds. Information is available here on the qualifications of teachers at a variety of schools. This provides a rough assessment of the qualifications common held in New Zealand schools during the 1990s.
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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 schools. 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 children at some of the schools have interviewed the principals and teachers. The result provide an interesting view of both the teachers and the questions posed by the children. The details add a personal element to sometimes dry statistical data on school staffs.
