By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK
Miriam Hunt has her priorities sorted.
On her first day at Swanson Primary School in Waitakere City today she wants to achieve two things.
"I want to have fun and play with my best friends Ella and Jessily," said the 5-year-old, who is also hoping to score a lunch pack of cheese and tomato sandwiches from mum, Andrea Hunt.
Miriam plans to wear an outfit of her favourite colour, blue, selected from a range of new school clothes bought by her mum.
She also has a new blue lunchbox and bike shorts to wear under skirts during the year.
"Even 5-year-olds are conscious of showing their knickers on the jungle gym," Andrea Hunt said.
Miriam is one of 9800 children starting their primary school education this week. Another 50,000 5-year-olds will enrol during the year. The number of students attending primary schools will total about 480,000, about 880 fewer than last year. More than half the new entrants will be at schools in the upper North Island.
Ministry of Education statistics show that more than 728,000 New Zealanders are expected to go to school this year. Secondary enrolments will rise 3200 to 244,700. Most schools reopen this week.
The Post Primary Teachers Association estimates that 400 extra teachers will be needed in each of the next eight years as a population bulge of baby boomers' children moves into secondary school.
Miriam said yesterday that she was excited about starting school, although she would miss her teddy bear, Zoe, during the day. She has already learned to read the words "stop, go, yes, no" and can count to 100.
Andrea Hunt expected Miriam, the younger of her two children, to quickly settle in at school as she had been interacting with other young children at playcentre and kindergarten for the past five years.
Miriam had the chance to meet her teacher during an open day last year. "She seemed cool, there's going to be easy books for reading and easy pictures to do," she said.
Tomorrow: We follow Miriam's first day at school - and how Andrea Hunt copes with her newfound freedom.
Flood of hungry minds back to class
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