1
Integrated Schools’ Conference 2015 Workshop
Text for Powerpoint
Slide 1
Cover slide
Welcome
Overview of the workshop: The Presbyterian School story in NZ with a
particular emphasis on the strengths of single-sex education with a Special
Character in the 21st century.
Overview of Presbyterian schools
Characteristics of Presbyterian schools
Special character
Advantages of single-sex education
Discussion
Overview of Presbyterian schools 13 in all throughout NZ
Slide 2
Auckland: St Cuthberts and Saint Kentigern Colleges….both Independent….both
large ….about 800 and 2500 students respectively.
Saint Kentigern has three campuses, co-ed college (parallel until year 11)
Purchased Anglican school, Corran Girls’ School in 2009…now has
three campuses
Slide 3
Hawkes Bay: Iona College for girls, Lindisfarne College for boys. Both
integrated.
Slide 4
Marton and Masterton. Both integrated.
Turakina Maori Girls’ College in Marton. Our smallest school with around 70
girls…but one of our oldest, est 1905…as an expression of PCANZ’s mission
with Maori, particularly Tuhoe.
2
Slide 5
Wellington: Scots College, boys independent.
Queen Margaret College, girls independent.
St Oran’s College, girls integrated
Connection between the three:
Scots and QMC both established by Rev Dr James Gibb and the Hon John G W
Aitken
Scots College was opened on the QMC site in Thorndon in 1916 and shifted to
Strathmore in 1918.
Still has a relationship with QMC eg QUOTS tournament, shared fundraising,
Founders Day celebrations.
In the 1950’s the chair of the QMC Board is said to have approached
Presbyterian leaders in Lower Hutt suggesting that they open a girls school
there…St Oran’s opened in 1958…the ‘baby’ of the Presbyterian schools.
Slide 6
Christchurch. Both independent.
Rangi Ruru Girls’ School…est. 1889, purchased by Presbyterians in 1946…our
oldest school.
St Andrew’s College….founded as a boys school, became co-ed in 1991.
Both schools have done significant rebuilding since the Christchurch
earthquakes.
Slide 7
Dunedin. Both integrated.
McGlashan boys and Columba Colleges (co-ed to year 6 and then girls school
from year 7).
The founder of Columba College was also one of the founders of Iona
College…Rev Alexander Whyte.
3
Slide 8
Our Presbyterian schools were not particularly established from an over-riding
sense of mission from the denomination as a whole….although there was a
committee established by the Presbyterian Assembly to oversee the
establishment of church schools as an expression of the Presbyterian church
and it’s commitment to education (Iona College was the first in the group).
Schools’ founding were generally led by a small number of committed and
energetic individuals, prepared to champion the cause to the church at large
and to shoulder the burden of the work needed to get it up and running.
Eight of our thirteen schools were established in the years 1914-1919.
Alexander Whyte….key figure in establishing Iona College and then, when he
moved to a new pastoral charge in Dunedin, Columba College.
The first Principal at Iona, Miss Isabel Fraser, offered to work without pay for
the first five years.
Rev Dr James Gibb….minister at St John’s in the City….one of two founders of
Scots College and Queen Margaret College.
Marion Thompson….founding Principal of Solway College. A trained teacher in
a number of schools…married Rev Laurence Thompson and when he became ill
she accepted the offer to become Principal at the soon to be established
Solway College…was Principal there from 1915 to 1942.
Rev George Dallard, minister at St Stephens Presbyterian Church, Lower Hutt,
invited by the Board of Governors of QMC to establish a Presbyterian girls’
school in Lower Hutt…St Oran’s College.
4
The main catalyst for establishing the schools in this 1914-19 era was the
failure of the Bible in Schools referendum which would have allowed religious
instruction within state primary schools.
It’s failure to gain traction within the legislation was more a resistance to
religious sectarianism ie Anglican vs Presbyterian….than it was to having any
religious instruction….but the effect was the establishment of church schools in
the same vein as the Catholic school system.
The vision of the founders was usually expressed as promoting a
wholistic/well-rounded education and, an important part of that was providing
religious instruction into the Christian faith/Presbyterian tradition.
‘Many in the Presbyterian church were convinced that education without a
religious context and foundation was of little value in the formation of
character.’
Slide 9
The underlying ethos of the schools was usually:
-Providing a well-rounded, quality education
-A belief that the schools would equip their students well for life, so that they
would play a positive part in their society.
-That the schools would teach Christian belief in line with what was taught in
the Presbyterian church and Reformed tradition….a way of ensuring the Presbyterian ‘brand’ was continued.
-There was some investment in looking after ‘territorial’ interests…eg there
was an Anglican school just down the road….
- An interest in a broad Christian state education, as opposed to a secular
one…given that historically, education was based within the church.
- A desire to offer good education to those outside of the main cities or in
marginalised sectors in NZ.
5
Slide 10
Special character
Christian Ethos:
-Chaplains…totem…standing as a reminder in the school of its underlying
ethos. ‘guardian of the gospel’
Used to be local parish minister, now employed usually as a
teacher…with a pastoral role, worship leader….sometimes on the senior
management team and/or meeting weekly with Principal.
-RE/CS classes (different schools do this in different ways)
-Chapel services and other services of worship
-Community service…local and global…the ability to transform students lives
-spiritual practices….silence, prayer, hospitality, generosity, looking after the
vulnerable.
-Emphasis on family atmosphere/community: many of our schools started very
small and as boarding schools…some are still quite small…60-500. The pastoral
care system, building relationships/being known between student and staff,
systems of justice/discipline, involving families, smaller class sizes, house
systems all reflect that commitment to that founding flavour.
-Traditions from Scotland/Celtic Christianity….pipe bands, haggis, tartan
uniforms, school houses named about Celtic Scottish heroes/saints/places,
school crests.
6
Slide 11
Special character:
Wholistic education
The whole person: intellectual, physical, spiritual and emotional
Cf Luke 2:52, Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human
favour.
Embracing wonder and mystery alongside knowledge and understanding.
‘By integrating religious faith, human knowledge and experience, a holistic
approach to education is developed’
The Phenomenon of Special Character in NZ State Integrated Schools. Susan O’Donnell 2000
Nurturing the development of each student, enabling them to grow and
mature as a fully integrated person in order to take their place in the world.
(paraphrased from O’Donnell)
Slide 12
Single sex education:
Advantages of
Allows for differences in development and learning styles between male and
female…boys learn differently from girls….developmental differences are very
different:
Girls: language facility, comprehend concepts earlier, develop small motor
control at an early age, can sit still longer.
Boys: spatial relationships, function better on the literal level, gain large motor
control early on and therefore are more physical.
Single-sex schools can cater for these specific styles and target teaching
practices accordingly
Boys and girls grow at a different pace: they can be specifically catered for.
7
The focus can be entirely on the needs of one gender
Different kinds of activities enjoyed.
Girls are free to participate in class activities/discussion without the teachers
attention dominated by boys….boys free to participate without fearing the
criticism of girls.
Less social pressures
Boys maturing at a later age….they can build confidence without the social
distractions of a mixed setting.
Less conscious without students of the opposite gender there.
Academic advantages: Both boys and girls from single-sex schools achieve
better academic results. In NZ statistics over last 10 years show boys in schools
performing approximately 10% better than boys in co-ed schools.
Breaks through stereotypes:
Academic: subject choices previously thought as being more for a boy or girl eg
girls, languages and arts; boys, engineering, comp sci or maths…no longer have
that restriction.
Promotes more confidence in girls accordingly.
‘It’s cool to be smart’
Gender-based
-some subjects and activities perhaps previously thought as the domain of girls
eg choirs, music, design, arts…can be owned by boys as perfectly valid….can
make them their own.
-Role modelling from staff about being male or female.
-Gender related issues able to be discussed more openly in classroom.
-All leadership roles are held by girls/ boys
Societal/peers
Competition is OK, so is friendship, teamwork, social interaction.
‘Boys seem to be more honest when there are no girls around. Alone they
seem to be more real – prepared to talk about issues that puzzle them,
challenge them, excite them.’ Barry Kelk.
8
Slide 13
Holding those two aspects together of Special Character and single-sex
education….where do you see the strengths?