sheene

Really? UK students regularly murder their teachers? Examples?

Robbo25

The school my eldest is at in Auckland does have the option of Cambridge or NCEA, my youngest son's school has International Baccalaureate.

Sorry to say but if you are quoting about pupils going to Oxbridge, well that is either a private school or one in an exceptionally affluent area, it is not real world for most of us.

And yes the pastoral care is fantastic, on site counsellers, extra support with individual subjects as required, peer mentors etc., Facilities are amazing with playing fields that are not subject to being built on by greedy developers.

And yes there are lots of Brits teaching, from the ones I know it is because of ill discipline, unbelievable red tape, constant monitoring not withstanding the daily battles with parents etc., Yes S. Auckland is pretty bad I believe but compare it with teaching in Hackney, Aston or Toxteth.

sheene

As they do at Airports - does that mean all passengers are terrorists?

Grayling

...and of course there are no knives taken into NZ schools are there?

Here is something from today's papers:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6013...-in-knife-game


You are so busy finding fault with the UK that you are blind to things happening elsewhere.

As I have said before....you are in for an almighty shock

Pollyana

Its open to everyone, as long as they abide by the rules. Just cos its called "British Expats" doesn't mean that we have to exclude everyone who is not a British Expat. For starters that would mean no-one could post if they were just on a tourist visa, or a working holiday visa, or married to a Brit, or moved back home........and no-one could post until AFTER their move either. And how about people with dual nationality.... Half the forum would no longer be able to post I reckon.......

DC10

No, I said teachers or each other. For a teacher you should better understand sentence structures

Since you ask, this is one example that immediately springs to mind http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14633278

There are around 20 youth stabbing murders a year in London, and many of those involved are still at school (well in theory)

sheene

No, it is a state school, as I said earlier. And Essex is not that affluent, more effluent. Remember that Grammar Schools in the UK are as they are supposed to be - selective academically - not so with NZ Grammar Schools, which are not Grammar Schools at all, being selective mainly on the prosperity of the parents. Not true? Try renting or buying a house in one of the catchment areas - poor people are simply excluded by not being able to afford to live there.

It is fantastic that you are happy with the school, and that your kids are happy - that is all that counts. But try and remember, outside that exclusive little zone, there are some really bad schools in Auckland.

sheene

Oh please, give up on the cheap shots. There were 2 subjects of the sentence, Teachers and Pupils, so the adjective applies to both unless you specify otherwise.

Well done on finding one example. That must mean it's true eh?

Nice Guy

Good golly, Miss Molly!!

love30stm

ok ok chill bro

Robbo25

No that is not a true statement, the school my eldest is at streams children based on academic achievement as to whether they are able to sit the International Cambridge examinations. I think it is wonderful that some children achieve an entry to high flying schools such as Oxbridge, but to use that as a measure of success at the exclusion of the remainder is a poor measure IMO.

As for affluence, there are many children that attend the school from a variety of backgrounds not just the tight geographic boundary.

Again, there may be poor schools in Auckland, but compare them like for like with the worst schools in other cities of comparable size in the UK, Bristol perhaps?

sheene

Streaming is not the same thing as selective entry. In a selective school, all the students tend to be very bright, many at the top end are verging on genius. It filters down, and though only the top 10% get into Oxford or Cambridge, the rest usually end up with superb results and off to another Uni.

What worries me about Auckland, is that the number of Maori students is dwindling dramatically at the top schools - down to about 5%, yet the number of Asian students can be as high as 50%, as their families have the money to buy houses in the better areas around Auckland. Sorry, but that just isn't right.

Robbo25

So selecting only the brightest academically and consigning the remainder (the majority) to a really poor educational experience is a good way to be? Possibly but it depends on how you measure and for me creating balanced individuals with real world skills is somehow better than another accreditation that will get you a huge debt and still no work........see youth unemployment stats in the UK right now.

Have a look how catchment areas in the UK work (or don't) where even in zone is a lottery. You may be right about Maori pupils, although there appears to be many at the school in question, and as for the Asian pupils I am happy to see them as they are so driven (normally by their families) that they set a very very high benchmark.

jmh

Just for the record, I am a British Citizen and have lived longer in the UK than in NZ. Even the NZ IRD considers me a migrant!

sheene

The remainder do not have a really poor educational experience - they simply go to a non-selective school - so if that is poor, then all the schools in NZ are poor as they are non-selective. Within the mainstream schools in the UK, there are good and bad, just like NZ, and just like NZ - that is a lottery.

Many of the Maori pupils in the top schools in Auckland are there because of their abilities on the Rugby Field. There has been a lot of trouble recently over certain schools 'poaching' talented Maori Rugby students from other schools. The problem is that the academic level of the Maori people will suffer, which is not really right is it, seeing as it is their country.

We need all sorts in this world - I wouldn't be too impressed if my Neurosurgeon only had a Btec in plumbing.