Never enough time for everything

Josh Pomare from Western Heights High School admits he doesn't get enough sleep. Picture / Stephen Parker

Josh Pomare slaves over buns, salads, and sauces every weekend and considers himself lucky to have a part-time job.

The Rotorua student - who is in Year 13 (seventh form) at Western Heights High School - works up to 10 hours a week at Subway while also trying to study, sit exams, coach hockey and lead an active teenage social life.

He's one of many students who juggle work and study and at this time of year, as NCEA exams start to play a bigger role, plenty of sleep is a luxury.

Josh was never given an allowance "as such" so he works to pay for things like extra clothes, food and beverages.

"My parents support me working but they understand the importance of exams and prefer my academic achievement over me working," he said.

He admitted that sometimes having to work for extra cash could be hard.

"I am often tired after work and I have planned to do stuff afterwards but I'm just too tired," Josh said.

Students also like to work more hours closer to the holidays so they have more money to spend, but exams often fall at the same time.

"Around the end of the year, exam time, some of my mates pick up extra hours and I notice that they are more tired, more stressed out," he said.

On a good night, Josh gets no more than eight hours' sleep but feels ideally he needs 10 or 11.

It is in the mornings that Josh has troubles, saying he can't process information properly until about 9.30.

"In the first couple of periods I'm still half asleep," he said.

He felt lucky to have a great boss, he said.

"My boss is very supportive about mine and other employees' schooling and will do things like hire more staff around exam time because he is aware that we have to study."

The manager of both Rotorua Subway stores, Peter Redmond, has 15 secondary school students working for him and knows students need "time out".

"Their education is always important and that's why we have so many students working for us," Mr Redmond said.

He doesn't tend to let the students work long shifts even though he said some of them would like to.


One in five NZ teens in school daze

Teens needing cash to buy cellphones, clothes and cars are burning the candle at both ends - and schoolwork is suffering.

A study last week reported that one in five New Zealand secondary school students was not getting enough sleep, mainly due to extracurricular activities and part-time work.

The study, carried out by Dr Simon Denny and Dr Tavey Dorofaeff from the Centre for Youth Health at Auckland University, examined sleep, employment and extracurricular activities.

Signs students weren't getting enough sleep include poor school performance, behavioural problems and emotional health concerns.

At John Paul College in Rotorua, principal Patrick Walsh said between 10 to 15 senior students had been spoken to about their obvious lack of sleep.

"It is a major concern to me and staff. They do it because they want to, not because they need to," Mr Walsh said.

Wellington High School has introduced a 10.15am start for all Year 12 and 13 students, giving them a study period at the beginning of the day.

Mr Walsh didn't think the move was appropriate because students needed to be prepared for the workforce.

Rotorua Girls' High School principal Annette Joyce said that with NCEA exams approaching, up to four students a week were given help to manage studies, work and extracurricular activities.