High schools back down over students’ home-study days

Two of Northland's largest high schools have backed down from asking more than 2300 students to study at home.

This follows a Ministry of Education investigation into the move by Whangarei Boys' High School (1170 pupils) and Kamo High School (1225) to get all students to study at home for five days over the year to allow for teachers' increased time away from the classroom.

Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope said the schools were not acting in the best interests of the students and were breaching the Education Act.

The schools' boards of trustees decided to stop asking students to study at home because they admitted they were flouting two sections of the Education Act, which states that students must be taught for 380 half-days and boards of trustees must fulfil their obligation to ensure that students attend school.

However, each board's chairperson was disappointed at having to back down as teachers and management had agreed that sending students home would be the ideal way to manage increased non-contact time.

Under the latest employment contract for secondary school teachers, schools must try to provide five hours' non-contact time a week, an hour more than last year.
Kamo High and Whangarei Boys' High have previously said the Government has not employed enough teachers to cover the increased non-contact time.

Teachers use non-contact time to mark and assess students' work, write reports and complete NCEA paper work.

Both schools are now deciding how to cover the non-contact time.

- NZPA