School attendance targets 'unrealistic'
By David Hill, local democracy reporter
A North Canterbury principal says school attendance targets are unrealistic in the present environment.
With a general election looming, politicians have been promising to fix declining school attendance rates.
But Rangiora High School principal Bruce Kearney said the biggest barriers to school attendance targets were the Ministry of Education’s "inability" to negotiate a pay settlement with teachers and the mandatory seven-day Covid-19 stand down.
The Ministry of Education’s target is for all students to achieve 90% regular attendance at school.
That equated to just one day absent a fortnight, or six or seven days in a school term.
"Yes, non-attendance is a problem, but it is not because students aren’t attending school, it is because we are coming out of
Covid where hardly anybody in any industry is hitting 90% attendance," he said.
"It is a little rich for the Minister of Education to write letters to school principals asking them to get on board with attendance when the biggest factor impacting attendance at the moment is the Government’s inability to sign a contract with teachers."
While there was a lot of talk about non-attendance, Kearney said there was a lack of funding to enable schools to tackle the issue.
Rangiora High School recently employed an attendance officer from school funds to reach out to students in the 70-80% attendance category.
Rangiora New Life School principal Stephen Walters said the Ministry of Education should be putting more emphasis on student achievement rather than looking at attendance on its own.
"We looked at our data and attendance in term one was higher than last year, but it is still behind 2019.
"But the interesting thing is even though attendance is lagging, academic performance has been sustained and even improved slightly in some areas."
He said the Covid experience had led to a change in attituded towards wellbeing.
"I think Covid has taught us, if you are unwell stay home until you are well."
Walters said his school moved to "a hybrid learning style" 10 years ago, embracing online learning alongside learning in the classroom.
It allowed students to continue learning and engage with teachers when absent from school.
The results indicated it was working, he said.
Oxford Area School principal Mike Hart said attendance improved significantly in term one this year at 61.9%, compared to 43.7% for term one last year.
"Pre Covid-19 attendance in term one 2019 was 71.7% regular attendance, so we still have improvements to make, but the data so far is trending in the right direction."
Comment has been sought from the Ministry of Education and Education Minister Jan Tinetti's office.
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Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Heritage gem or dangerous burden? Bowling club’s dilemma with historic pavilion
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A Rangiora sports club is frustrated with the increasing maintenance and insurance costs of its 113-year-old pavilion, which can't be demolished due to its historic importance.
The Rangiora Bowling Club approached the Waimakariri District Council last year for help, but was yet to find a satisfactory solution for the pavilion.
It is registered with Heritage New Zealand and listed in the Waimakariri District Plan, leaving the club with few options.
The club’s ex-president Norman Hewett said the pavilion on Good St, north of the town centre, is unsafe and no longer fit for purpose.
Hewett said the council has been supportive and Heritage New Zealand has offered advice, but no funding.
‘‘Everybody thinks the building is worth preserving, but there is a cost and it shouldn’t be put on the bowling club.
‘‘As far as we are concerned it is not fit for purpose and we want to know how we can get round that.
‘‘We want to know what the community thinks and if they want to retain it, are they willing to pay for it?’’
The club has formed a sub-committee to explore what options are available.
Sub-committee member Rodger Wilton said the club has been unable to find any record that the club had a say when the building was given heritage status.
Built in 1911, the pavilion served the Rangiora Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club, which originally shared the site.
It cost 945 pounds and was opened on October 28, 1911.
The three clubs purchased 1.25 acres on the corner of Blackett and Good streets in April 1905, but later parted company, with tennis and croquet moving to new sites.
While no quotes have been sought, Hewett believed it would cost more than $1 million to bring the pavilion up to code.
Ideally the club would like to demolish the pavilion so it can upgrade its main building and remain on site.
The stairwell was non-compliant and there was no wheelchair access, meaning the club was unable to use the upstairs facilities.
There are loose tiles on the roof which need replacing.
An attached building behind the pavilion is sufficient to meet the needs of the 140 members and for hosting the largest bowls tournament in North Canterbury, Hewett said.
He said the club is open to all options, including a land swap or selling to a developer with the expertise to restore the pavilion.
Waimakariri District Council community and recreation manager Chris Brown said the council is working through various opportunities with the bowling club as part of a feasibility study.
‘‘There are a lot of options to consider. Each have various financial, social and operational implications.’’
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga said it had ‘‘expressed support for the adaptive reuse of the building and supported the club’s intention to investigate options for the pavilion and the associated land parcel’’.
The Rangiora Bowling Club is keen to hear the views of the community. Email rangiorabowling@gmail.com.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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