Christ’s: learning leadership

Press, 18 June 1986, Page 14

Christ’s: learning leadership

Christchurch has 36 co-educa-tional, single-sex, private, integrated, alternative, or religious secondary schools. What makes them different from each other? Or are they all much the same? Youth reporter MARGARET BAKER talks to senior pupils from some of these schools. She asks them how they view their school, what it has to offer, its good points and its failings. Her three-part series begins today with pupils from two private schools.

They all stand up when the principal and I enter the room. (I couldn’t remember if my school executive would have done this.)

Five Christ’s College prefects at ease in the boardroom overlooking the willowy Avon on a cold June day; Tom Foster, Sam Martin, Nick Reekie (he is in the first fifteen) Wray Wilson and (subversive) Paul Hufflett. All have been boarders, since the third form, intelligent, articulate individuals. They are good-na-tured and humorous; direct, informative, but confident — smatterings of the right stuff.

Each of their fathers had attended Christ’s, but three say they were able to choose to attend the school, or go to another. For Tom, from a Scargill farm, it was Christ’s or an hour and a quarter b’ ' tri' day Paul.

jus ip every < ty. Paul, from Nelson, recalls he had not heard of the place two days before he started. “It seemed like an adventure.” Nick confesses he had caused trouble and had a poor academic record at his Invercargill intermediate school, and it was hoped Christ’s could improve this. (The others cackle with mirth, and Nick expresses doubt at the outcome.) Ask them what they think about attending a private school and there is a resounding, unanimous response that "it is no different from any other school.”

Sport takes priority

“It is just the same as other schools. It really hacks me off when you are in town in uniform and people give you a hard time, try to make

out you think you are better than them, its rubbish,” asserts Sam. “Maybe it is partly because the buildings look a bit daunting, like a museum, and people think it is a bit strange.” The main advantages of their school, as they see them, Include the good academic record, the small classes, and the sport. (Definitely not the food.) Sport, in fact, seems to take priority.

“There is an enormous variety offered, from rugby to shooting and outdoor education, and there is a great atmosphere and spirit between the houses (nine of them),” says Nick.

“It is really competitive, but it is more of a fun competition, and there is no peer pressure about taking part.” Rugby continues in its traditional, number one position in the sporting hierarchy. It is still compulsory for the whole school to attend the top first fifteen matches. This is not, however, seen as such a good thing by all these prefects. “I would like to see a turn away from rugby — a school like this has the opportunity to lead people away from those attitudes and values. We are in the middle of a positive cultural environment, but I don’t think we really use it,” says Paul. They all say rugby’s kudos in the school is matched only by the top rowing team.

"Everyone really looks up to the first fifteen, there is no doubt about it,” adds Sam. The popularity of other activities, such as drama and music, is growing, they say, with the help of a new music suite. There is also a variety of groups for people interested in other areas, such as computers.

The curriculum, however, leaves a bit to be desired in their eyes.

Streamed in the third and fourth form, and for fifth form maths and English, pupils can take individual sciences from fourth form level. But they don’t think the curriculum is very wide. “We are starting to get things like Japanese, so it is definitely getting better,” points out Wray. Cooking, sewing, and typing are also offered. There is no compulsion to take certain subjects. Pupils are interviewed in the sixth form, and some advice on subject choice may be offered according to their career plans. “But you are not forced into a decision or made to decide on a vocation or career,” says Sam. What they do not like about the school, apart, from the food, is chapel attendance four times a week, Saturday morning

school, leave hours for boarders, and some of the punishments handed out. All five think the discipline is strict compared with other schools, especially as the rules also apply to their behaviour during holidays. But several temper this by saying the level is sensible, and accept that a line has to be drawn somewhere. Caning is still used at Christ’s College. Tom, Sam, and Nick do not think it is too bad a punishment, and cannot see what alternative could be offered. “The next step is to suspend someone, and that is too severe.” Paul and Wray disagree. “Caning is pathetic. It doesn’t achieve anything. You become immune to it after a while, and it becomes just a big joke,” insists Wray. “You cannot haye a violent action like' caning taking place in a civilised society. People are really scared of it, especially if they haven’t been caned in the third form, and it is a big fear,” says Paul.

Most believe the staff have violence within the school pretty well under control, and they do not think, there is much personal hassling between pupils. Socially, none saw the

the fact that the school was single sex as a disadvantage to their social lives, or as an "unnatural” state.

“We have a lot to do with other schools; St Margaret’s, Girls’ High, and girls from other schools attend some of our classes,” says Sam.

“As senior boarders we get out quite a lot at the week-ends — it is not so good if you are in the third or fourth form though.” They would all like the sixth and seventh form to become co-educatlonal — they believe the school is sexist in its attitude and regard for women. When asked about their own ideas on some women’s issues, there is a distinct pause.

As for preparing its pupils to take on the outside world, all seem to think Christ’s does a good job for its boarders in turning out independent, tolerant people with good leadership skills.

Sexist attitudes

“Through boarding, you build up tolerance for other people, you learn to co-operate and to organise yourself. It makes you quite independent,” Wray finds. "You are put under pressure a lot of the time. You have to learn to deal with things yourself — you cannot race off home. It strengthens you up a bit,” agrees Sam. A few admit they miss being part of a family — but then add that many boarders are there precisely because they

cannot get on with their parents, and like being away from them.

They mention only one or two people in their houses who they think are very unhappy, and unsuited to boarding.

“And there is no difficulty fitting in when you go home. You don’t feel out of it or anything,” says Wray. “I think you respect your parents more.”

But, Paul comments, he does not think the school prepares its pupils as well as it could for the outside world.

“I know quite a few people who have not done so well in their first year at Varsity.” (This is followed by a discussion about whether last year’s head boy had green hair at the moment.)

“I think the varsity thing has a lot to do with leaving school and for the first time being free of the rules and structure of the place — they don’t suppress you any longer, the catches are released, and people just let go,” is the consensus.

But they seem reasonably content and happy and as they say, they would not be there at Christ’s if they did not like it.

“Nobody makes you stay.”

When the “catches” are released at the end of the year, Tom plans to go onto the farm, Sam and Paul plan to do commerce at Otago University, Wray wants to do pharmacy, at Otago, and Nick plans' a career in tourism, through the Central Institute of Technology, in Wellington. None are planning green hair.