Head students are an integral part of the secondary school system in New Zealand, yet they are expected to cope with a seemingly never-ending to do list on top of their studies. So is the mahi worth the treats? Former head girl Ruby Clavey reports. As Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben once put it, “with great power … Read more
Head students are an integral part of the secondary school system in New Zealand, yet they are expected to cope with a seemingly never-ending to do list on top of their studies. So is the mahi worth the treats? Former head girl Ruby Clavey reports. As Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben once put it, “with great power … Read more
After years of hearing Aucklanders bicker over who has the least horrific school uniform, Tauranga-born Janaye Henry decides once and for all who is serving the best looks at the inter-school events. Spoiler alert: Contains pinstripes, skorts and cufflinks. Who knew there were so many colleges in Auckland? Certainly not me when I embarked on … Read more
Our students’ maths knowledge in their first year of high school is worse than ever – and that has grave implications for the future, say mathematics professors Gaven Martin, who chairs the Royal Society panel that’s tackling the decline, and Jodie Hunter. Maths is an essential part of our lives, from everyday living to educational … Read more
Incensed by yet another sky-high school uniform bill, father-of-three Dylan Reeve tries to get to the bottom of the school uniform racket. For New Zealand parents, the end of January tends to mark the end of one nightmare – the seemingly endless summer school holidays – and the beginning of another: new uniform-stationery-and-shoes season. The … Read more
Think twice before you accept that surprise school reunion invite, writes Chris Schulz. It started with a Facebook notification. A school reunion was being organised. It sounded fun, with a fancy dress party set to be held in the city where I grew up, Whanganui. I hadn’t seen some of my old school buddies for … Read more
‘I know you don’t need me any more and I’m happy with that. It’s the way it should be.’ Before you were born, I took a photo of the beach where we lived – this is a long time ago, more than a lifetime for you of course, and buying a first home near the … Read more
Every year high school biology teachers gather to learn the latest in science. This year there’s a lot to catch up on, Maurice Wilkins Centre organisers Rachel Heeney and Dave Grattan tell The Spinoff. Last year, terms like “elimination strategy”, “flatten the curve” and “sustained transmission” were foreign to the majority of New Zealanders. Next … Read more
Dilworth School was founded on the principle of providing quality education for students from families in hardship. Now, as Aotearoa prepares to navigate a post-Covid-19 world, they’re stepping up. Nestled among Auckland’s leafy suburbs, Dilworth School’s normally bustling grounds have been eerily quiet in the past month. The boarding school for boys, which has two … Read more
As New Zealand looks toward an uncertain future in all areas of life, Auckland school principal Claire Amos sees an opportunity to change high school education for the better. The last week has been an interesting one for school leaders. Monday arrived, it was all on – schools were closing the next day, schools across … Read more
From hygiene and ventilation through to seizing the educational moment, there are some basic steps worth taking, writes Dr Mike Bedford, a specialist in health and wellbeing in early childhood education settings. The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join Spinoff Members here. Hygiene – get the … Read more
Summer reissue: What’s it like to wait over a decade for a new record from one of your favourite bands? David Farrier writes about the joys, perils and embarrassment of being a Tool fan in 2019. This was originally published on 3 August, 2019. Before you say it, let me: Tool fans are the worst. … Read more
What’s it like to wait over a decade for a new record from one of your favourite bands? David Farrier writes about the joys, perils and embarrassment of being a Tool fan in 2019. Before you say it, let me: Tool fans are the worst. “You tall faggot!” a Tool fan yelled at me during … Read more
Te Matatini starts today, and one kapa haka fan is very excited. In 1995, I was an out-of-zone student at Epsom Girls’ Grammar, equally into Tupac, Hole and Anne of Green Gables, and struggling to find a sense of belonging. High school is a tough time no matter what social strata you occupy. The stress … Read more
In January 2019, a National Party MP called for summer school holidays to be shortened from six weeks to five or even four. Emily Writes did not agree. Like most parents I have days where I think the school holidays are dragging on and on and on. Some days I want to shoot my children … Read more
A last minute cancellation of the final day of school at Mount Albert Grammar has deprived its students of one of the most emotional moments of their lives, writes Duncan Greive, parent to a MAGS school leaver. Do you remember your last day of school? I do, piercingly clearly. A cool, bright day much like … Read more
A controversial speech by a school principal who said students skipping school are more likely to get raped speaks to a failure to understand the complex issues teenagers face, writes Waikato youth worker Jared Ipsen I wagged school a lot as a teenager. Dealing with heavy anxiety and depression, trying to juggle the enormous social pressures … Read more
Today it was announced that Stage Challenge, the secondary schools interpretative dance competition, is no more for this world. Sam Brooks crowdsourced people’s memories of Stage Challenge, and scoured YouTube for the best of the rest. As someone who went to a rugby-focused Catholic all-boys school, Stage Challenge was something that I’d always heard about … Read more
News came today that Stage Challenge, the national dance competition for schools, is to close after 25 years. Kristin Hall pays tribute to the touchingly earnest extra-curricular. We are but two weeks into 2018 and already we have a definite sign that this cruel world is going to continue its speedy downward trajectory until there … Read more
Following an outcry, the NZQA has agreed to a review of its policy of publishing exemplar answers that students have been memorising and reproducing. It’s all part of a larger problem, writes AUT lecturer Peter Gilderdale, of ‘academic obedience’ over actual learning. Think of a place where doping is both prevalent and systemic in a … Read more
What Catholic high schools teach teenage girls about sex affects them for years to come. 21-year-old Lucy Kelly looks back on her Catholic education. So here’s me aged 14. We’ve just been handed our forms for the Gardasil vaccine. A public health nurse explains that the vaccine is most effective for HPV contracted by sexual … Read more
Earlier this year an otherwise liberal Auckland girls’ high school, where diversity is celebrated, invited Family First’s Bob McCoskrie in to talk about gay marriage. A gay student who was in the audience shares her experience. Update May 23 2017: Bob McCoskrie has responded to this story, disputing some of the events as depicted below. … Read more
This week sees the launch of a nationwide eSports league featuring more than 50 teams from high schools around the country. But is this whole thing legit? Like, are they actually going to let kids play computer games as a sport? We sent Eugenia Woo to the High School League open night to find out. Parents … Read more