Figure 1.--.
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Figure 1.--. |
Boys education, especially secondary education, was considered much more imprtant than girls education in the 19th century. There were, however, several girls' secondary schools established in New Zealand in the 19th century. These schools were organized on the basis of the English public (select private) school. Today most New Zealand secondary schols are coeducational, but there are still several girls schools in the larger cities.
These brief descriptions provide a general idea about the size and nature of New Zealand girls secondary schools.
The school has a traditional commitment to meeting the individual learning needs of young women. We encourage an energetic commitment to achieving personal excellence both in academic study and through involvement in our comprehensive co-curricular programme of sports, arts and cultural activities. We seek to foster respect for others and a
sense of community, both in the school itself and among the members of the wider community. We are proud of the self motivation, self confidence and independence we foster in our students and the results gained by our school leavers in the first years
of tertiary study endorse our belief that we give our students an excellent edcational foundation for further learning.
Southland Girls' High School was founded in 1879, the first government secondary school in the City of Invercargill. Today nearly 800 students attend the school which educates girls for the five years of their secondary education. The school has a boarding hostel which accommodates 80 girls. Senior students have their own rooms as well as an apartment offering the experience of independent living before leaving school. Boarders come from the countryside of Southland, a province renowned for its rich dairy and sheep farms, forestry and fishing. The highly qualified, experienced teaching staff are specialists in their subjects. The School has an excellent academic tradition and the subjects offered allow every girl to pursue a course of study that will prepare her for university or other
tertiary study as well as for professional careers and vocations. Like most New Zealand schools, Southland Girls' has a summer and a winter uniform worn with pride by its students. In their last year of school, senior students may wear their own choice of clothes according to the school dress code. Southland Girls' High School maintains traditional values while providing a progressive, innovative education for the girls of Southland. With our brother
school, Southland Boys' High School, we have introduced a Senior College which gives
senior students the opportunity to learn together in mixed classes of girls and boys.
This is what some of the children thought about their schools.
