School decile rating

[jonstarkie]

I am a teacher thinking of emmigrating to NZ with my wife (a primary headteacher) and kids aged 8, 11 and 13. Can someone please explain to me how the decile system works - also are school inspection reports available online like they are in the UK? Many thanks, Jon

[Graham Barnes]

School inspection reports can be found at www.ero.govt.nz.
Follow the links on the left, and do a search for the school name.

All state schools are positioned socio-economic decile ranking...there is a bit of witchcraft involved about how they calculate it, but it involves things like average salaries, % welfare registered and the like. 1 is lowest, and 10 is highest. Schools get additional Government funding based on their decile ranking; 1=quite a lot, 10=none at all!
Schools ranked low can get a bit of a bad press, but I think you need to take each one on its own merits. E.g. a good country school out in the sticks could have a low ranking just because most locals are sheep farmers with low incomes. My brother teaches in a Decile 3 school in Northland, and they get better results than Decile 6 and 7 schools in Whangarei (mind you, the NCEA system makes it very difficult to make comparisons between schools...but that's another story!)

Be warned that it is very difficult to get a primary teaching position in NZ at the moment...lots of locals fighting for fewer jobs (falling primary rolls). But if your wife has experience as a Head, it might make a difference.
Secondary is much easier, particularly in some areas of the country and for certain subjects.

Graham

[Junnifer USA]

Why has there been a shortage at the secondary level? Is it expected to reamin that way for several more years?

[kiwi]

Hubby has just graduated from teachers college (after 5 1/2 yrs of a uni honors thing!) and he wants to teach primary here in chch................he graduated April...still unemployed and he is a male with life experience (as in old! well 37) and because we believed the media..'crying out for male primary school teachers' etc he thought..sweet..walk into a job! so his ego has shrivelled...he has been humbled!! and he realises that he is competing with the world. They will take the BEST person for that class..full stop.

If that means someone from Yorkshire....then a phone interview will do it, and they get offered it over someone local...I am not bitter in any way!!!

Secondary school is not an option he says, just a personal thing, him and teenagers....I am sure they are better here than in some parts of new York!! but he doesnt want to face them day in and day out (we have 5 of our own so I am sure he has a case)

I would get ANY JOB offered to you...and then when something comes up that you would love to do, try for it....

Good luck
Nicky

[ruthyroo]

The shortage of secondary teachers is expected to last for probaby another 5-7 years i think - there is a big bubble of numbers moving through the system. Teaching in NZ is just as tough as it is anywhere else - don't let TeachNZ fool you into thinking it isn't! My DH is a secondary teacher here in Rotorua, and finding it hard going. The younger kids (age 13) especially are particularly hard work, but the older ones are okay. A lot of kids here leave at 15 so it's the ones that stay on who actually want to be there.