11\r\n\r\nINDEPENDENT\r\n\r\nSchool\r\nworries\r\nPPTA\r\n\r\nAngela Roberts, NZ Post Primary\r\nTeachers’ Association president\r\nThe New Zealand Post Primary\r\nTeachers’ Association president,\r\nAngela Roberts, worries that\r\nschools like Vanguard consume\r\nresources diverted away from the\r\nstate schools that surround them.\r\n“It’s to your advantage if you’re\r\na small senior secondary school,\r\nwith smaller classes, because the\r\nfunding criteria favours that. These\r\nschools are able to take advantage of this (funding system) to\r\noffer features state schools, with\r\nappropriately-sized classes, would\r\nlove to provide.”\r\n“Effort brings reward” is the motto of the Vanguard Military School, which is one of five charter or partnership schools which were launched,\r\nwith some controversy, at the beginning of the year.\r\nPic by Ted Baghurst\r\nunemployment, drug use and teen pregnancy. They’ve joined the army and are\r\nearning $40,000. It’s a fantastic turnaround, not only for them but for the\r\nentire country.”\r\nATC courses turned away between\r\n300 and 400 young people a year, so\r\nwhen the partnership/charter model\r\nwas allowed, the Hydes applied to set\r\nup Vanguard, enabling them to teach\r\nthe NCEA curriculum.\r\nIt remains to be seen whether Vanguard\r\nwill emulate the apparent success of the\r\nATC courses. However, students I met\r\nseemed confident.\r\nJamie Coffman, 15, from Orewa: “For\r\na lot of us it’s our last chance at school.\r\nI was a troubled student and school just\r\nwasn’t working for me. There you can slip\r\nthrough the cracks — here the teachers are\r\nthere to help you . . . you never have to do\r\nthings by yourself.”\r\nFaith Kerekere, 18, came to Vanguard\r\nfrom a college in Australia’s Northern Territory. She lives alone in Auckland and\r\nsays Vanguard has become like her home\r\n\r\nJamie Coffman says that for a lot of students\r\nit’s their last chance at education.\r\n\r\nPic by Ted Baghurst\r\nand its students and staff like her family.\r\nShe is determined to succeed and feels\r\nsupported.\r\n“Staff treat us as young adults and\r\nencourage us to use our initiative. The\r\nmotto is ‘effort brings reward’. There’s\r\nan honour code every student takes seri-\r\n\r\nously and follows in their own way. I’d\r\nlike people to know that we’re serious\r\nand intend to build leaders at this school.\r\nIf they doubt it they should come and see\r\nfor themselves.”\r\nStudents I spoke to complained that\r\nat colleges they’d previously attended,\r\nthere’d been little discipline, zero consequences for getting off the rails and\r\ntoo much temptation to abuse drugs\r\nand alcohol.\r\nSome admitted to being part of the\r\nbehaviour problems at their old schools.\r\nBut that wasn’t the experience of Eldene\r\nRuki,18, from Australia.\r\n“I was always the grey person nobody\r\nnoticed, especially the teachers. I had\r\nfriends but didn’t agree with some of the\r\nthings they did, so didn’t have anyone to\r\nsupport or motivate me. It was easy to\r\nwaste m \r\n\r\nNew 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