Figure 1.--These chaps at a boys' high school are deciding how to use the morning interval. Finally they decided on a game of fusball. |
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We will begin with coming to school in the morning. Bicycles are very common in New Zealand and many other means of transportation are used. Many schools open the libraroies early and operate them for a while after classes. There are morning assesmblies, although not always on a daily basis. Classes fill up the morning activities. The younger children have their classes broken up by a morning break or recess. Most secondary school also have a morning interval. Lunch is followed by a rest period at many private preparatory schools. Older children often have a little free time which many use for sport. Afternoon classes follow lunch. At private schools on some days there is often a major sports program, following the British system.
Bicycles are very common in New Zealand and many other means of transportation are used.
Many schools open the libraroies early and operate them for a while after classes. This is usually about 30-45 minutes before classes begin, but this varies from school to school. The students at private schools often tend to have greater access to the libraries.
School begins in a number of different ways. Schools may have Family Forums, House Assemblies, School Assmblies, or other approach. The level of the school is a factor here.
Classes fill up the morning activiries. Classes often begin about 9:00 am. Primary children are in one class and their schedule is thus flexible. Secondary students may have two classes before morning interval. They are usually about 50-55 minutes with a 5-10 minute break to change classes. The younger children have their classes broken up by a morning break. Quite a number of secondary school also have a morning interval.
Schools have a recess or moning interval about 11:00 am. It usually lasts about 15-20 minutes. The children here have a little free time with a modicum of staff supervision. It can be a time of frentic activity for younger children. At the secondary schools it is somewhat more restrained, although there is often time for a quick pick up game on nice days. . Some of the students may have a snack. Most secondary schools open their snack bars or canteens. Often the girls will have a chat either among themselves or in mixed groups. Boys will often kick a football around or have a range of other activities like fussball, bat a littlecricket, play a quick game of basketball or other action activity.
A class normally follows the morning interval.
Most schools schedule lunch at about 12:30 or 1:00. Few New Zealand schools have a cafeteria. A few schools have cafeterias, but this is not very common. Most of the boarding schools and hostels have dining rooms. The students either bring a lunch or buy items from a snack bar. Usually they eat outdoors. Lunch is usually about a 50 minute to 1 hour period with about half the period reserved to eat lunch and the rest allocated for free time. Normally there is an eforced period where the students have to sit around and eat. Otherwise many of the boys would go straight to the games fields. Lunch is followed by a rest period at some private preparatory boarding schools. At the day schools this is usually not the case. Older children often have a little free time which many of the boys use for sport. The most popular sports were rugby and cricket, but quite a range of activities go on. The girls are usually not as enthusiatic about using the lunch break for sport.
Secondary schools normally schedule two or three classes classes after lunch. School normally ends at about 3:00-3:30 pm.
At private schools on some days there is often a major sports program, following the British system. The games progeam is more limited at state schools.
Going home is a little different than coming to school. The students all arrive at the same time in the morning. While with a few exceptions, the official school day ends at the same time, not all the students go home after classes are over. There are a range of activities after school. Sports are the most important, but there are many clubs and other activities conducted after classes. Studenys also have access to the libraries and computer rooms. We see the same methods of getting home, including walking, biking, public transport (municipal busses), school busses, and parents' cars. Some of the older students in secondary schools now have cars as well.
Many schools keep the library open for a while after the school day ends in the afternoon. Normally the library remains open only a few minutes after primary school ends, but the libraries at secondary schools tend to stay open longer at secondary schools. This provides the students to use the library for the more adavanced reserarch assignments given to older students. The schools tend to open the library in the morning for a long period than in the afternoon after school, but policies vary from school to school. Often private schools have more flexible access to the libraries, in part becuse the children tend to be better behaved and less likely to get up to mischief and do not need to be as cloesly monitored as the children in state schools.
