The Academic Malaise of NZ’s Provincial Boys’ Schools
St Peter’s College in Epsom is the leading academic boys school in NZ with 94.2% of their 2022 LEAVERS having University Entrance*.
Instead of deciles in NZ we now have schools with an Equity Index number that shows the number of students at school with “risk factors” for non-achievement. St Peter’s in Epsom is quite low at 386. The high is Flaxmere College at 564.
For two schools that neither ethnicity or other demographics determine outcomes:
- St Joseph’s Maori Girls (EQI 516) has UE for LEAVERS at 88.9% and that ranks 9th in NZ
- Manukura (EQI 498) has UE for LEAVERS at 85.7 and that ranks 18th in NZ.
Along with St Peter’s (Epsom) St Joseph’s and Manukura are schools so many educators should be beating a path to.
Without additional comment. Below are matching girls’ school/boys’ school outside of Auckland and Wellington. The % is UE for LEAVERS. In brackets is the EQI.
- Christchurch GHS 68% (411)
- Christchurch BHS 50.8% (413)
- Napier GHS 62.6% (441)
- Napier BHS 42% (449)
- Otago GHS 61.9% (434)
- Otago BHS 53.4% (427)
- Nelson Girls 60% (431)
- Nelson College 37.5% (435)
- Palmerston North GHS 56% (435)
- Palmerston North BHS 41.8% (437)
- New Plymouth GHS 48.7% (451)
- New Plymouth BHS 32.3% (444)
- Hamilton GHS 41.9% (462)
- Hamilton BHS 40.0% (429)
- Southland GHS 45.3% (467)
- Southland BHS 26.8% (467) I said I wouldn’t comment but, they are our best rugby school in 2023
- Whangarei GHS 40.7% (465)
- Whangarei BHS 25.3% (467)
- Gisborne GHS 37.9% (490)
- Gisborne BHS 22.6% (491)
- Marlborough GHS 37.1% (453)
- Marlborough BHS 17.8% (454)
- Tauranga GC 34.4% (465)
- Tauranga BC 30.4% (453)
- Hastings GHS 21.2% (506)
- Hastings BHS 35% (506)
- Rotorua GHS 14.3% (502)
- Rotorua BHS 14.9% (525)
* Why use University Entrance? It is the most robust and aspirational of the qualifications that all schools do. The Ministry data includes UE equivalents for Cambridge and IB. It does not imply all students should go on to degree level study – but the should have the choice.
(Please email me for the full date set on every high school in NZ re L3 NCEA, UE, Retention, Progress to Degree level study … all in ranked spreadsheets. Plus system aggregates. alwyn.poole@gmail.com)
Alwyn Poole
Innovative Education Consultants
Cambridge Festival of Sport
www.innovativeeducation.co.nz
www.cambridgefestivalofsport.co.nz
www.alwynpoole.substack.com
www.linkedin.com/in/alwyn-poole-16b02151