10\r\n\r\nINDEPENDENT\r\n\r\nThe introduction of charter schools was met\r\nwith derision from many educators, EC2’s Paul\r\nCharman reports back from Albany’s Vanguard\r\nMilitary School which is mid-way through its\r\nfirst year of operation\r\n\r\nThey march in snappy blue uniforms,\r\nput backs into physical training and\r\nsoak-up Maths and English like thirsty\r\nsponges.\r\nAttitudes at Vanguard, the new charter\r\n(partnership) military school at Albany\r\nseem impressive, particularly when students erupt into a fierce haka to honour\r\none of their teachers at assembly.\r\nMilitary discipline may not suit everyone, as staff and students spoken to were\r\nquick to tell me, but it seemed to suit the\r\nhalf dozen students I met.\r\nMore than one hundred 14 to 18-yearolds attend the Albany-based college\r\nwhich opened this year for Year 11 and\r\n12 students, and for some it’s an arduous\r\ncommute. Challenges facing Pukekohe\r\ngirl Dominique Stewart were at the highend. The 16-year-old rises at 4.30am every\r\nweek day, catching a train in to Britomart just over an hour later. From there\r\n\r\nDominique catches two buses, to arrive at\r\nschool shortly before 8.30am.\r\n“It’s a struggle in the morning but worth\r\nit. In my old school I was bullied heaps,\r\nwasn’t focused and was failing. Here in\r\nclass I’m focused, pass everything and get\r\nlots of help. My old college was okay for\r\nsome but it did not work for me. I felt like I\r\nwas on my own but here the teachers are\r\nthere to help, every step of the way.”\r\nManagers bring highly motivated teaching staff into contact with youngsters\r\nready for a positive change. Vanguard\r\nCEO Nick Hyde says mobile technology\r\nis kept to a minimum to avoid distractions\r\nand students willingly work right through\r\nsome public holidays to improve outcomes. Qualified teachers are used, except\r\nfor some specialists, including an ex-army\r\ntutor who teaches military studies.\r\nHyde’s father, Wayne, trained young\r\npeople for military careers long before\r\nthe advent of charter schools. As an\r\n\r\nEldene Ruki says she was always\r\nthe “grey person nobody noticed,\r\nespecially the teachers”, but has\r\nfound her footing at Vanguard\r\nMilitary School. \r\nPic Ted Baghurst\r\n\r\n“For a lot of us it’s\r\nour last chance\r\nat school. I was a\r\ntroubled student and\r\nschool just wasn’t\r\nworking for me.\r\nThere you can slip\r\nthrough the cracks —\r\nhere the teachers are\r\nthere to help you . . .\r\nyou never have to do\r\nthings by yourself.”\r\n— Jamie Coffman,\r\nVanguard student\r\n\r\nearly school leaver with no qualifications, his life was transformed through\r\njoining the air force. Wayne Hyde\r\ngained a masters in Education and,\r\nfollowing retirement, opened a trade\r\ntraining school for the Navy.\r\nConvinced that military training had\r\nmuch to offer in 2000 he purchased a\r\nprivate training establishment and set\r\nup the Advance Training Centres (six\r\nbranches in Auckland and Northland).\r\nThese offered six-month-courses to instil\r\nsufficient English and numeracy and get\r\nstudents ready for the military. Eighty-five\r\nper cent attending ATC courses go on to\r\nwork, or further education.\r\n\r\n\r\n“They’re often kids who’ve left school\r\nwith nothing, exactly like my father did\r\nin his day. In nearly every case we see a\r\nterrific change and around 60 per cent join\r\nthe forces directly,” says Nick.\r\n“Imagine a 17-year-old from the middle\r\nof Kaikohe, where there’s high levels of\r\n\r\n New Zealand\r\nAPN\r\nCareer\r\nCareers\r\nEmployment\r\nTraining\r\nEducation\r\nStudents\r\nDigital Media\r\nBachelor of Digital Media\r\nSouthern Institute of Technology\r\nThe Learning Connexion\r\nSchool of creativity and Arts\r\nDiploma of Art and Creativity\r\nSkills and Trade\r\nCareer Jump Start\r\nCTC Aviation\r\nLaunch your careers as a professional pilot\r\nServilles Academy\r\nA future in hairdressing\r\nFreedom to roam\r\nNew Zealand School of Food and Wine\r\nCookery and Hospitality\r\nSt Johns\r\nFirst Aider\r\nProfessional Wine Knowledge\r\nUpgrade to a new IT career\r\nComputer Power Plus\r\nIT training specialists\r\nTertiary\r\nMassey University\r\nThe engine of New Zealand\r\nMoney Sense\r\nBecome a Veterinary Nurse\r\nVet Nurse Plus\r\nNew Zealand College of Chiropractic\r\nIndependent\r\nPPTA\r\nLaidlaw College\r\ndiploma in theology\r\ndegrees in theology\r\nHITO\r\n