Whakamarama School trials new learning initiative

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Whakamarama School is set to become the first North Island school to pilot a child-directed learning programme in the hope of boosting the school's dwindling roll.

From Term 1 next year, the Discovery Learning programme could be offered at the rural school.

The focus of the child-directed learning style is personal inquiry, and staff, parents and the wider community will play an active part in the learning process.

Principal Sue Waitai said the child-directed learning programme would be "weaved into" the New Zealand Curriculum and the school's current teaching methods.

"As a principal I don't really want the school to change because this is a delightful school ... but this will offer us a different direction and a point of difference from other schools," she said.

"We're a rural school with a view to the future and we hope this programme will generate interest from people outside of the district as well as from within and hopefully grow our roll."

In her eight years at Whakamarama School, Mrs Waitai said the school roll had fluctuated from 30 to 60 students.

The current roll of 40 students has remained stable since the beginning of the year.

"The drive behind this is our board of trustees want the school to get back to around the 60 student mark and this will be a point of difference for us, and we hope this is what it will achieve," she said.

The school is set to trial the pilot programme in Term 1 next year.

Board of trustees chairwoman Denelle Croucher said before this could happen, the school roll would have to rise to 51 students.

"Until we reach that target, the ministry won't fund a third teacher, and the class depends on this," she said.

"From our perspective as the board of trustees, we want to increase the roll and give this school a point of difference.

"This area is very well served in terms of schooling opportunities so we wanted to offer something different."

Prospective parent Christine Paris approached Whakamarama school in April this year and asked if they would pilot the Discovery Learning Programme.

"I have twin boys and I have been looking at schools and I found this model of education that was child-directed learning.

"I found the school in Christchurch and it had been going 12 years and the ERO reports were positive and I thought this was a good educational programme so I wanted to see if any local schools would pick it up."

Ms Paris will lead a public meeting at Whakamarama Hall on August 30 from 7pm.

Meanwhile, the roll at nearby schools has increased this year.

Principal of Pahoia School Steve Wadsworth said the school roll had "exploded".

"Our figures are higher this year than previous and we're expecting to finish with around 250 kids. We started with about 180 at the beginning of the year."

He said the biggest growth was from in-zone students.

-Bay of Plenty Times