A Rotorua principal is concerned students distracted by Rugby World Cup hype may not be fully prepared for their end of year exams.
John Paul College principal and president of the Secondary Schools Association Patrick Walsh said students who had been caught up in "rugby fever" needed to ensure they were staying on top of their school work.
But other Rotorua principals say their students have never been more engaged, with teachers integrating World Cup hype into lesson plans and students becoming more involved with their communities through local Cup events.
Last year schools were instructed by the Ministry of Education to adjust their terms to allow for a longer than normal holiday in October, during the final stages of the tournament.
Terms one and two were extended, forcing the term breaks to fall later than normal. The fourth term, when senior students take their external exams, has been cut by two weeks.
The changes were made to ease pressure on traffic flows and public transport, mostly in Auckland.
Mr Walsh said the school was running extra classes and tutorials for students who wanted extra help.
The school had also written to parents, encouraging them to limit their children's part-time work hours.
"The Rugby World Cup is a wonderful thing for secondary school students - particularly kids with a strong interest in rugby," Mr Walsh said.
But he said it was important for students to find a balance between following the World Cup and studying for their end of year exams.
There are only two weeks left of the third term and next term students would only have two weeks before exams started.
"I'm hoping in the next few weeks the penny will drop," Mr Walsh said.
Rotorua Girls' High School principal Annette Joyce was not concerned about her students being unprepared for exams.
She said the tournament had had a positive effect on her students.
"If they're engaged then they're happy and working."
Mrs Joyce said the Rugby World Cup hype had seen students become more engaged with their community with the school's kapa haka and Pacific Island students performing at many World Cup functions.
Some social studies classes had adopted the Namibian team, who were based in Rotorua for their first two games, while Gateway students had been helping out at the Rotorua games.
"It's about integrating what's happening into the curriculum," she said.
Rotorua Boys' High School acting principal Fred Whata said the Rugby World Cup had lifted spirits around the school.
"It's had a positive effect on our students in more ways than one."
Students had been working at the Rotorua games through the school's Gateway programme and its Stage Challenge and Pacifica group had been performing at the fan zone.
Mr Whata had no concerns that students were falling behind in their studies.
"The boys are on task at the moment."What do you think? Comment on this story at www.dailypost.co.nz.