Learning in state-of-the-art classrooms

By WAYNE THOMPSON



Two new state secondary schools aiming to give "a home away from home" open today in Manukau City.

The Botany Downs Secondary College and Alfriston College offer conditions that are a far cry from those of the last state secondary school to be built in Auckland - back in 1980.

Their students will sit in double-glazed classrooms where the environment is controlled so they won't suffer from poor interior air quality (IAQ).

IAQ is said to affect performance and cause drowsiness, headaches and poor concentration.

Classroom interiors will bask in natural light, since daylight fosters high achievement by keeping everyone more awake.

The schools have a sit-down cafeteria - a response to the finding that 25 per cent of learning occurs informally.

The two schools, which had construction budgets of up to $25 million each, feature extensive computerisation and striking architecture.

Botany Downs principal Rob McMurray says their design encourages the concept of extended family or whanau and the schools are attracting international attention, including visits from a group of China's top principals.

There are three two-storey Whanau House buildings. On the first floor of each Whanau House are specialist teaching rooms, and the ground floor has teaching classrooms opening out on to a commons space.

The whanau idea is an extension of the old house system for schools, with pupils using the whanau common room, kitchen, attending assemblies and, in junior school, having more than half their lessons within the whanau house.

Alfriston principal John Locke said students would have anytime-anywhere access to computer technology including the school "intranet".

But he played down Post Primary Teachers Association concerns that the intranets would create excessive email contact between the homes of students and their parents and off-duty teachers trying to relax.

Mr Locke said the emails would go to the school, not to teachers' homes, though teachers would be able to access the internet from home.

He said the type of people recruited for the school's 14 teachers would be highly likely to respond to students' and parents' queries.

"But anyone would be foolish to think a teacher would be on duty 24 hours a day."

Both schools this year will take only 300 Year 9 ( form three) students. Each school plans to grow its co-ed roll in subsequent years to Year 13 ( form seven) until it has 1500 pupils.

Manukau City grows by 6000 people a year.

Ministry of Education spokeswoman Brenda Radford said the schools were zoned so they would be for pupils in growth areas rather than drain the rolls of existing schools. Both were "greenfields" housing areas and this would take strain off schools such as Howick College, which had a roll of 2250.

Next year it was planned to open a Year 9 to 13 secondary school at Stanmore Bay, on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, and a junior high school for Year 7 to 10 at Appleby Rd, Albany. They were two of eight new Auckland schools planned for the next two years. Eight Auckland schools have rolls exceeding 2000.

A new Catholic integrated school, Sancta Maria College in Botany Downs, also will open this year to 450 Year 7, 8 and 9 students. It is expected to grow to 1000 students.

SCHOOL GROWTH

Auckland's growth areas will get eight new schools in the next two years.

Waiheke Island (primary) opening 2005.

Appleby Rd, Albany (junior high school) 2005.

Flat Bush (primary) 2005.

Orewa West relocation (primary) 2005.

Kyle Rd, Greenhithe (primary) 2005.

Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa (secondary) 2005.

Wattle Downs (primary) 2006.

Snells Beach (primary) 2006.