From the Rector
Dear Parents,
We need a didacticism based on common sense, on remembering what has always worked, not obsessively inventing anew.
In a recent article, Jeremy Adams, author, teacher and lecturer, claims “It’s time to go old school in education. Enough with the endless torrents of education reform and the modern obsession with infusing technology into every facet of the learning experience. Enough dumbing down of the curriculum, tolerating egregious student behaviour…enough censorship of teachers and administrators who know deep down… their students are graduating with a depleted battery of skills and knowledge that would have been unrecognisable and unacceptable a generation ago.”
It must be said that Mr. Adams is not simply suffering from a case of ‘in-my-dayism”. Instead, he is basing his position on years of research into declining results across the state, and to the increase in poor behaviour in schools.
He also notes, “Our obsession with technology and digitalising as many elements of education as possible hasn’t improved educational quality. Maybe adding more hours of screen time per day for children who are already monomaniacally obsessed with their devices isn’t the answer.” And he’d be right.
But while Mr. Adams is an educator in California, USA, his comments could well be applied to the situation the New Zealand education system is currently facing, with the “Curriculum Refresh” about as refreshing as a poke in the eye.
With a sharp stick.
With cayenne pepper on the end. Or sand.
The system is afflicted with theorists and analysts, all of whom no doubt have good intentions. But the road to Hell, as the saying goes, is paved with good intentions. We are told that the refresh will lessen the assessment workload, yet we have new literacy and numeracy assessments to do, one of which saw a pass-rate amongst boys of 28% in the trial assessment. But instead of looking at the root of the problem, the assessments are simply made easier. More paper over the cracks.
Dr Michael Johnson says, “The Ministry has grown to dwarf the Department it replaced. Yet, just about everything it does makes things worse. From literacy and numeracy, to curriculum, to teacher education, the Ministry has spectacularly failed to provide competent stewardship of education.” As a former Associate Dean of Victoria University’s Faculty of Education, and prior to that role the Senior Statistician at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Dr Johnston’s criticism carries some weight.
On an altogether more positive note, well done to all those young men for whom the winter season is coming to an end. It has, as has been noted in this forum already, fantastic to see so many of our pupils involved in cultural and/or sporting activities throughout the last few months. Many of our young men are now gearing up for Winter Tournament Week, which will give a number of our teams the opportunity to compete at regional or national level.
Good luck to all those young men who are involved in Tournament Week, I’m sure they will enjoy the opportunity to travel away and compete at a high level.
Thank you to our staff for giving their time to ensure our young men get the opportunities to be involved in such a wide range of co-curricular activities. Thank you, too, to our many parents and supporters who have been involved as well and thank you to all the parents and whanau members who have supported their sons throughout the season, on the side of a field, or court, or pool, or stage. Even if your sons might not say it, they do appreciate you being there.
Staffing
This term we welcomed Mr Andre de Klerk to the Mathematics department and Miss Kirstie Robertson to the English department and we wish them well for their time at PNBHS.
Open Day
The recent Open Day saw large numbers visit the school throughout the three sessions, two of which, in particular, saw larger numbers than we have seen previously. I would like to thank those involved in Open Day; the staff and the many young men who gave their time to ensure Open Day was a success. Special thanks go to Year 9 pupils Bailey Hakopa and Ollie Read who, along with Head Prefect Connor Giltrap, spoke at each of the presentations. My thanks also to those young men who acted as tour guides and did a superb job of providing their groups with information about the school from a young man’s perspective.
Enrolments for 2024 close on Monday 28 August. Due to the current school roll, we will need to limit the numbers at Year 9 for 2024 so out of zone applications may be unsuccessful. If you require further detail, please contact the school office on 06 3545 176.
Senior School Examinations
Examinations for young men sitting NCEA Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 subjects will take place from Wednesday 6 September to Wednesday 13 September. These examinations are an important part of the senior academic year; not only do they provide an indication of progress in their NCEA studies, a yardstick if you will, but they will also reveal areas that will need extra work in if success is to be gained in the NCEA examinations in term four.
The results from these examinations will also be used if a young man should require an NZQA derived grade because of bereavement, serious illness or an accident during the external examination period that causes him to miss an NCEA examination. Thus, we would stress that young men ensure they perform to their potential as every year we have a number of students who need this type of assistance.
D M Bovey
RECTOR
