Website template simplifying school site management

By RICHARD WOOD

A service offering schools prestructured websites overlaps with offerings available through Te Keti Ipurangi (TKI), but is seen as complimentary rather than competing with the Ministry of Education portal.

Kiwischools.co.nz, owned by Auckland company Lifelong Learning, launched in March on the back of a search engine directory for all schools in New Zealand. It provides a low cost template design for schools to manage their own website - charging around $500 for a typical site and up to $9.50 a week.

"It [Kiwischools] couldn't in any way be a threat. TKI is kind of like the library that the education system has access to. Outside the library there are a whole lot of shops in the village," said Hamish Clark general manager of CWA New Media - a joint venture development partner of TKI.

Education technology consultant Lawrence Zwimpfer said having someone host and organise a website is a sensible idea because it helps to keep the public part on the internet separate from school's own networks. However he said many schools may find the template model too restrictive.

"They start with wanting to do an electronic brochure but quickly they are integrating with their intranets and providing access to students".

Zwimpfer said many schools who are part of Ministry of Education initiatives have access to web space and tools on TKI, and those schools that see a benefit of having a website have probably already got one.

"For other schools the issue is having time for people to provide the material."

Kiwischool's owner Paul Stuart said his template approach was built on the idea that every school has similar needs such as sending newsletters to parents, publishing photos from the school camp, and announcing special achievements.

Other uses for the site include promoting the school, including homework instructions, displaying children's work, school calendar, PTA and board of trustees statements. Teachers get passwords for changing the content from any web browser.

Kiwischools is allying itself with a provider of filtered internet content and is developing a students' publishing centre add-on. It is also aiming to provide online communities.

Kiwischools