Thread: Schools in New Zealand

I"m not sure how many other kiwis there are on the board, but this is my impressoins of NZ education - I am a third year secondary english teacher.

Within our schools there is social promotion that happens. There are no set testing until the students are 15yo or Year 11. They get moved up with the rest of the cohort. What I discover as a teacher is that my year 9 and 10 students - some of them have reading ages of a 5/6yo, yet they are mainstremed into classes aimed at 13yo's. It is very scary how easily they slip through the cracks.
However, there are many programmes in place to help with it, it just depends on the school itself how well these are implemented. We rank schools on a socio-economic scale (SES) based on the local area and the type of people in that area. For a well to do are, likely the local schools are decile 8 - 10 (highest is 10). For a low SES the local schools are likely to be decile 3 and below. I have taught at a decile 1A school (ie decile 0, but we can't call it that because of the PC brigade) and their programmes and teachers are so dedicated to student achievement. It is wonderful.

We have a system here called NCEA (National Certificate in Educational Achievement - or something like that anyways) which starts when students reach year 11. We have internal and external examinations as a part of that. We grade the papers and award them one of three marks. Achieved, Merit or Excellence. Each "paper" is worth a set amonut of credits, and the amount of credits you recieve for passing with Achieved or Excellence is the same. So where is the student motivation to work harder? NZ loves to push mediocrity.
The descriptors for the differences between the levels is really fluffy. What I've learnt is that we all have this internal thing within us, as teachers, which we use to figure out the A, M, E scores. So, in terms of "lying about student test scores on state exams" it does happen.
Our national newspaper "The NZ Herald" takes great pleasure in publishing the "scandalous" results for NCEA based on school. These are just normal papers that come around the schools showing where they are in terms of other local schools... but the Herald just likes to create sensation. A few years ago when NCEA was being implemented the people at Fraser High School in Hamilton were giving out credits for stupid things like picking up rubbish, because they found a standard about caring for your environment. So the way we implement the standards is pretty free - but in saying so, most schools want to work well and will use the exemplar standards on tki. ([url="http://www.tki.govt.nz"]www.tki.govt.nz[/url])

For the most part - I like teaching in NZ. It is a great lifestyle. I teach in Pukekohe, middle of the market garden area. Cheap vegis. Great friends. Some of the kids at school are a pita, but for the most part this year I seem to be handling them better (I had an evil HOD for the last two years who made my life a living hell) And the best thing about my school is the low expectations. As a teacher they seem to expect me to do badly. So I push my kids and they do well and everyone seems happy with that.
I'd say of all of NZ it is pretty relaxed. My friend Sam came over from the UK and he was saying how shocked he was that the PE department turned up in shorts and jandals (thongs/flip flops) to teach in and how he could get away with no tie and jeans and a t-shirt.
In NZ the "rule of thumb" is that you are never more than 30 mins away from a great beach or thick native bush. For me, my "shitty week" treat is to go out to Kariotahi and grab some fish and chips and eat it on the beach while watching the locals play with their quads in the sand. Its just such an awesome relaxed lifestyle.
My big thing with student achievement was adjusting my internal "push" radar. As a high school student, I went to one of the best high schools, lived in a pretty good area, had parents who pushed me, friends who pushed me - we argued constantly amongst ourselves to see where in the top three we would be - heaps of internal drive to achieve. I didn't know this wasn't normal. So over the last six months I adjusted my radar. One of my psychs said "mediocre in this class is actually excellent" and that has been my "motto" ever since. Because of that I am working better. It may be that you guys figured that out long ago... but I seriously went into school expecting every student to be there pushing themselves to the limit how I did. I guess its a new teacher thing.

If you want to find out more, or look at the standards and exemplars, check out:

[url="http://www.nzqa.govt.nz"]www.nzqa.govt.nz[/url] (New Zealand Qualifications Authority)
[url="http://www.tki.govt.nz"]www.tki.govt.nz[/url] (Te Kete Ipurangi (The basket of knowledge))

And for jobs, every job in NZ has to be gazetted. If it says "regarded" it means it is already taken. If one takes your fancy - just send in your CV and see what happens, it beats going through an agency.

[url="http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancy.php"]http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancy.php[/url]


Good luck. Hope the above was helpful. Feel free to contact me if you want to know anything more. I have to admit I'm a pretty strong advocate for NZ. I love it here. So there is possibly a little bias about the country above :P

Love Dawn

Dawn,
Thanks for your prompt and through reply. It sounds a lot like what we have going on here. I was reading on another thread from a few years ago about the stats that different countries put out about their student/educational achievements.

I think you're right about lowering your expectations; I just think it's sad that we don't think our students can do the work. A lot of my kids would spend extra time after school with me to learn the stuff they hadn't learned in the earlier grades/years. People couldn't believe I was spending 60+ hours a week on my job. Over here, teachers are thought of as kinda lazy. I was always waiting for when my job would get that easy.

My husband and I vacationed in your beautiful country last July. I fell in love with the people and the scenery. It's a lot like the US (especially our Rockies and west), only a lot smaller. We spent most of our time on the South Island. We did 4 days on the Queen Charlotte Track and we not even put off when we had rain for the first day.

I'm seriously thinking of getting started on the paperwork to teach for a couple of years there.

Anybody have anything to add?
Waz

Originally Posted by Waz

Anybody have anything to add?

Yes.

Over here, teachers are thought of as kinda lazy.

Kinda lazy? Not sure I would describe it that way. Unappreciated and under valued maybe, but lazy?

kontan -

I use the word 'lazy' because that's what people have told me. For example, when I was teaching, some of my courses didn't have books. That left me to make up my own material; which required a lot of prep work on my part. When people heard about all the work I put into my lessons, their response was, "Oh, I thought you just stood in front of the class and lectured or had the students work out of a book. I didn't realize a teacher worked so hard." I would often reply that most teachers do in one way or another.

I would also hear the comment, "Those that can't, teach." What does that mean anyway? I know what it means, but really, how insulting.
So, yes, I think I will stick with the word 'lazy' since that's what was meant by the people who made those ignorant comments.

I agree that teachers are underappreciated and valued (see above comment). I've often wondered, if people think teaching is so easy, why aren't there more teachers? And, why do people look so forward to the end of summer vacation and getting their darlings back to school?

None of the schools around here pay for helping students after school with school work. In fact, it's expected, especially in the maths and sciences (and if you're not tenured). Most of the other subjects didn't need as much after school help. I wish the schools did pay, though.

I'm curious about a typical New Zealand class.
Specifically:
How many days in your school year?
How long is a school day?
How many periods/classes in a day?
How long for a class period?
Are there prep periods (time for teachers to make copies or whatever during the school day rather than before/after school)?
How much collaboration with other teachers (both in the same subject area and other subject areas)?
Do teachers have their own classroom or do they travel from room to room? If they do travel, do they have their own desk somewhere?
(I worked in a school where I was in a different room, on a different floor for every period and I didn't have a desk anywhere in the building. That was a very long year.)

Looking forward to learning about these details,
Waz

How many days in your school year?
Too many. :P
We have four terms each term is 10 weeks long, and at the end of each term we have a two week break and then a six week break over Christmas. School starts on February 7th (After Waitangi Day) and just keeps going until the end of the year. Its like this monstrous machine that once started just keeps on going.

How long is a school day?
Depends on what school you teach in. But for the most part, primary schools are 9 - 3 and secondary schools ar 8:30 - 3:30

How many periods/classes in a day?
Again - depends on where you are. My school has five classes a day, on a five day timetable, which means every Thursday fifth period I have my year 12's. Its kinda good because you can plan apppointments and what not easily. But kinda annoying because I get a case of "Thursday-itis" once a week.
My highschool when I was a teen had five periods on a six day roster, and schools my friends teach at have up to 7 periods. It just depends on the school, but generally I'd say most schools will have 5 periods in the day, and then homeroom as well.

How long for a class period?
Again, depends on how the school is run. We have 1 hour periods. Some schools have 40 minute periods (its a boy's school I'm thinking of). Other schools have a double period in thier day somehow. I like the one hour period because you get a heap done. Also beacuse i teach english we can have a decent 10 minute reading time at the start of each class.

Are there prep periods (time for teachers to make copies or whatever during the school day rather than before/after school)?
Yes. Its graduated. As a beginning teacher you work at 0.8 so you have about 15 hours teaching out of 25 hours class time (I think?) And then in second year you go to 0.9 so you have one extra class. WHen you're a "real" teacher you get four or five periods off during the week for prep. So a period every day, more or less. We also have professoinal development time scheduled into the school day (at my school anyways) so Wednesdays have four periods... the fifth period is for professional development.

How much collaboration with other teachers (both in the same subject area and other subject areas)?
Again. Depends on the school. In my first two years in this school I wasn't allowed to talk to others in my department by official edict from the Evil HOD. She gave me a piece of paper - official paper with the letterhead and all - telling me the three teachers I was allowed to talk to (two of whom wouldn't speak to me) so some schools can be evil. However, she died last year (and yes, I sang "Ding dong the witch is dead") and I see her turning over and over in her grave because our department this year is so cohesive. Everyone is sharing resources, everyone is so friendly to each other. It is such an amazing turn around.
Our school is part of a programme called Te Kotahitanga (working together) and it tagets the Maori students. But as teachers of a TK class we get together and discuss how we will target the maoris and plan goals and aims for those classes.
This year - for the first time ever - our school has dedicated PD time to working on cohorts of year 9 and 10 classes which is AWESOME. I've participated in it at other schools and it has been fabulous. Some of the staff are a bit uppity about it... but I think if it takes off, it can only improve the school. For instance. My year 10 class, we all got together and decided that we were all going to come down hard on them, so we did, and changed the class. It was amazing.

Do teachers have their own classroom or do they travel from room to room? If they do travel, do they have their own desk somewhere?
(I worked in a school where I was in a different room, on a different floor for every period and I didn't have a desk anywhere in the building. That was a very long year.)
Cough cough.
Again-depends on school size and availability of classrooms. Seniority gets classroom as does beginning teachers. As a third year teacher I have a base in the english department workroom... but no class. It isn't too much of a pain moving between classes (dont tell the HOD but I appreciate how it has made me much more organized) We do have an opening for assistant HOD becuase the lady who accepted decided not to take the position once she learnt that she woulnd't have a base classroom. Our school has expanded expotentially so when an english class is free - it is likely to have a maths class in it or something. Same with the other classes. Most of the school is undercover so it isn't that difficult. Basically I see it as the same as being a student. We expect them to move classes, I do it too, but at least some of the time I'm in the same class back to back.

Originally Posted by Xyphir

Our school is part of a programme called Te Kotahitanga (working together) and it targets the Maori students.

I always read your thoughts about this program as I think we might have a similar program (one day in far future when our education system gets more organized) regarding our Rroma students. Although the necessity for any such program is supposedly discussed all the time at state level, I haven't actually seen any programs in my area (I did read about the local one that happened 4-5 years ago, but in the meantime I heard nothing so I don't know if it was discontinued).

btw I know that in New Zealand there are many immigrants from Serbia. Are there any in your area and do you see any cultural differences or culture shocks?

Xyphir - Sounds very similar to here. There was one big difference that I noticed though, the length of the class period. Most of the schools that I've taught in had class periods that went from 32 minutes (yeah, I know, there's no time to do anything with that) to a whooping 43 minutes (not much of an improvement).

I did have the experience of teaching in two different 'block' schedule schools. That meant that the class periods lasted 80 minutes (can be good & bad). In one school with 80 minutes, we completed a whole year (40 weeks of instruction) in only 20 weeks of instruction. We had the same students every single day. Also, every 5 weeks a new quarter (term?) began. This entailed report cards (grades) being sent home at this time, too. There are only 4 periods a day and teachers only teach for 3 of them. One of the periods is a prep period; which was nice, because my first semester (first 2 terms) I taught 3 totally different courses (one without a book). My second semester, which is like a new school year with all new students and classes, I kept one of the classes from the first semester and gained two new courses which needed all new preps for. So in one year, I taught 5 different courses.

In another school I taught in block, the periods were 80 mins on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 53 mins on Monday, Wednesday, Fridays, but we kept the same students for a full year. Instead of having the students every day like above, we had MWF kids and TTh kids. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we also had an extra period to work with students on character developement. We also only taught 2 periods a day and a 3rd period was for teaching a remediation class (so you taught 5 classes). This was a school in the city and all the students were African American and at-risk (of dropping out of school). All in all, this was the best teaching/learning situation of any that I have experienced. The class periods were long enough to allow the students plenty of time to go over homework and any questions from the previous lesson, new material, practice on the new concepts with time for me to answer any more questions they might have. Also, they had at least a day in between to get extra help from me on their homework. I don't believe you can speed up the learning of math; it just takes as long as it takes to learn.

All in all, very interesting.

Waz

Originally Posted by Zheljko

Originally Posted by Xyphir

Our school is part of a programme called Te Kotahitanga (working together) and it targets the Maori students.

I always read your thoughts about this program as I think we might have a similar program (one day in far future when our education system gets more organized) regarding our Rroma students.

We have something like this, too. We call it 'Black History Month' and the whole month of February is devoted to it. I have to add, though, that having taught in city schools (which around here has a very high black population) every day emphizes the African American culture.


Waz