Local school or "better" school?

**MotoGirl** · 26th March 2009, 20:46

I don't have kids but based on my education (or lack of) it would be important to send my kids to a school that has time to put into the kids with potential.

Unfortunately so many things are geared to the kids falling below the norm and the smart cookies get neglected. It's not good for smart kids to be put in an environment where they aren't encouraged to learn or put in any effect (especially if things come naturally to them). All this does is lead to poor study habits and they'll potentially stay with them forever.

**Usarka** · 26th March 2009, 20:48

Thats a good point MG. Smart kid breezes through shit school thinking "hey I'm smart I don't need to work hard"......

**rachprice** · 26th March 2009, 20:59

Nah I dont think that's necessarily right
I think NCEA has a lot to do with kids hitting uni and not knowing how to study or work (not that my 'study' for bursary was even a fraction compared to my first year of university)

While my schools were a low decile, they both went out of their way to give me, and others, extra opportunities in the form or trips for leadership courses and chances to sit exams years earlier, with teachers taking time out of school hours to give us tuition

**Virago** · 26th March 2009, 22:16

I always think that Decile Ratings are an unfortunate social label. Alas, we live in a society where class snobbery and social climbing is ingrained.

My own kids went to the local primary school - Decile 4. I spent six years on the BoT. It was disappointing to see some local kids walk past the school gate, to go to the school down the road - Decile 8 - perceived by many parents to be "better".

**MisterD** · 27th March 2009, 08:49

Originally Posted by MotoGirl

All this does is lead to poor study habits and they'll potentially stay with them forever.

Have you been talking to my University tutor?

**MisterD** · 27th March 2009, 08:54

Originally Posted by Usarka

Thats a good point MG. Smart kid breezes through shit school thinking "hey I'm smart I don't need to work hard"......

Don't blame the school - if you ace what's on the curriculum it's not the school's fault. I drifted through a good (highly rated comprehensive) school and got all A's and B's except for a slight SNAFU with my French...the exams were just too easy.

**MotoGirl** · 27th March 2009, 09:10

Originally Posted by MisterD

Don't blame the school - if you ace what's on the curriculum it's not the school's fault. I drifted through a good (highly rated comprehensive) school and got all A's and B's except for a slight SNAFU with my French...the exams were just too easy.

It can be the school's fault if the kid is finding the work too easy and the school doesn't provide anything else.

I was a naughty kid (caused by being bored and unstimulated) and my teacher would separate me from my group of friends as a form of punishment. Because I wasn't distracted by my classmates I had nothing to do but work. In a very short time I had chewed through a week's work so the teacher put me back with my friends to slow me down again.

My previous school may be an exception, being small and rural but I imagine similar things happen elsewhere. I asked my parents to send me to intermediate but they refused because of the extra hassle. Instead, I just wound up causing continuous trouble and never having to work for high grades.

**sunhuntin** · 27th March 2009, 10:11

Originally Posted by Virago

I always think that Decile Ratings are an unfortunate social label. Alas, we live in a society where class snobbery and social climbing is ingrained.

My own kids went to the local primary school - Decile 4. I spent six years on the BoT. It was disappointing to see some local kids walk past the school gate, to go to the school down the road - Decile 8 - perceived by many parents to be "better".

agreed. around the corner from us are two primary schools. they are maybe 200 meters apart. one is a catholic school which has a unifrom. the other is a public with no uniform. the public one was recently listed in the local rag as i think decile two due to its location. how then can the catholic school NOT be the same decile rating?

**MisterD** · 27th March 2009, 11:12

Originally Posted by sunhuntin

how then can the catholic school NOT be the same decile rating?

The ministry calculates the decile rating from census information against student addresses supplied by the school - not from where the school happens to be.

**sunhuntin** · 27th March 2009, 11:14

the paper put it down to where the school was based. typical shitty local rag getting facts wrong again.

**Tank** · 27th March 2009, 11:57

Originally Posted by Virago

I always think that Decile Ratings are an unfortunate social label. Alas, we live in a society where class snobbery and social climbing is ingrained.

My own kids went to the local primary school - Decile 4. I spent six years on the BoT. It was disappointing to see some local kids walk past the school gate, to go to the school down the road - Decile 8 - perceived by many parents to be "better".

Decile is based on the supposed amount of money the parents have and subsequently the higher decile schools are supposed to expect more parent funding.

HOWEVER - the decile rating of a school should have no bearing on the perception of the quality of the school. There are many more reports out there qualifying the variances in educational quality. Decile simply is not a measure of that.

All schools here are decile 10 - however there is a huge difference in quality.

**neels** · 27th March 2009, 12:19

We sent our kids to the local primary school close to where we lived instead of a supposedly 'better' school that we would have to drive them to every day, even though it was probably not considered a 'desirable' school. They did a bloody good job of looking after our kids, sorting out extension programs in the subjects they were good at etc etc. And the bonus that they make friends with people in the area that they live in so can see them out of school.

For high school we successfully balloted both of our kids for single sex schools that are on our bus route, otherwise they would have gone to the high school that we are zoned for. Unless the school is really really bad it's up to the kids how well they do, and I'd rather they were at a local school than spending time & money carting them to a supposedly better school, or fronting up heaps of money for them to be the poor kid at a private school full of rich kids.

**Number One** · 27th March 2009, 13:24

We looked around and took advice from friends. For us it was very important that the principal and teachers were interested in a real 'partnership' between school and home and while they all kinda say they are you KNOW when talking to them exactly how deep that one goes.

Also we wanted a school with a strong positive culture - one that expects the kids to treat each other right and takes a proactive approach to teaching the kids some values. That is not to say that we don't do this stuff at home BUT as it is plainly obvious kids are strongly influenced by their little friends and what goes on at school so it was important that similar values were reinforced in the school community as what we feel are important at home too.

ALSO we wanted a school where the relationships between teachers and kids looked positive and when touring with principal of the school we enrolled in the kids were falling over themselves to get the principals attention and she would stop and chat with them all and knew all their names and the teachers were really welcoming too.

Our selection went right down to details though - experience of the teachers, their tenure at the school, the layout of the school and the outdoor equipment...as well as how uncluttered the classrooms were.

So far things have gone really well. I have no doubt we picked the right school - no it isn't the closest - heard awful stuff about the school closest and the one we thought would be where he ended up had quite inexperienced teachers (in terms of what we needed) and the principal was an elder gentleman who clearly liked the sound of his own voice. Made lots of very generous statements that sounded like all the things you would want to hear yet upon further inspection and talking with him it all sounded like empty promises to be honest.

Phew - it's a big decision anyway and one that I think most parents much fret over...well if they give a shit and understand just how important school (especially that first one) is.

**Tank** · 27th March 2009, 13:27

Originally Posted by neels

, or fronting up heaps of money for them to be the poor kid at a private school full of rich kids.

I think that this is a common misconception.

There are many, many, many parents who make huge sacrifices to send their kids to fee paying schools. Not all the parents (or even the majority) are necessarily 'rolling in it'.