Figure 1.--.
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Figure 1.--. |
Most New Zealand high schools (years 9-13) are now coeducational. They have many different
names based on the schols foundation, including high schools, colleges, and grammar schools. All of
the newer schools are coeducational.
intermediate schools are not available.
These brief descriptions provide a general idea about the size and nature of New Zealand secondary coeducational secondary schools.
Pakuranga College is located close to Howick, and Pakuranga in the eastern suburbs of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. With a growing student roll of over 1800, it is one of New Zealand's 10 largest secondary schools. There are students from 43 different countries including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Iraq, Iran, Bosnia, Serbia, Denmark, Sweden, Chile, Thailand, South Africa and many others. Like most New Zealand schools, Pakuranga College is state funded. The school was built on its present site in 1960 and was soon surrounded by new housing areas which are still being developed as Auckland grows and spreads. Pakuranga College provides a varied mixture of courses for student selection. The greatest variety is offered in Year 12, where there are almost 50 courses from which to choose. In the final Year 13, the choice is a litle less with around 40 courses. The College also caters for the needs of the whole community. There is the Pegasus Unit,
the Experience Unit, the Early Childhood Centre and a large Community Education department. The New Zealand school leaving age is 16, but most of our students remain for a longer time. The majorty complete Year 12 and many carry on into Year 13. Pakuranga College has a proud record of academic success. In recent University Bursary examinations (ie a national exit Year 13 examination), it has achieved some of the best results in the nation. Using the criteria of some colleges with restricted Year 13 entry, Pakuranga College regularly achieves better that a 90% pass rate. This is at the top for the nation. Even with our policy of open entry to Year 13, the pass rate remains very impressive.
This is what some of the children thought about their secondary schools and what they like to do at school.
