Faculty attendance charges are down throughout the nation, with the Ministry of Training releasing figures final week exhibiting solely 47 % of scholars went to highschool usually in time period two this yr.
Christchurch’s Shirley Major Faculty is attempting one thing a bit completely different to buck that pattern.
Because the starting of time period 4, college employees and volunteers and local people group the Shirley Village Venture have been injecting some pizzazz into the beginning of the primary day of the varsity week. They arrange audio system blasting music and balloon decorations, and an upbeat welcome crew give out free stickers.
Generally they even have particular company, which have to date included soccer gamers, police and St John Ambulance employees.
The scholars strolling by means of the varsity gate on the day RNZ visited mentioned the scheme was working, saying it made the day way more enjoyable.
12 months 4 scholar Alfonso Chiavone Faccio mentioned he was significantly trying ahead to the day they get to utilize the dunking machine.
The dunking machine was made by Steve Jones-Poole, a neighborhood improvement activator with Shirley Village Venture and one of many instigators of the Monday morning enjoyable.
“The dunking machine – it was somewhat thought we had. If we’re getting children coming alongside, what about we set a goal?
“So we have set a goal, and if there’s sufficient children at college within the morning, the category with probably the most children at college that morning get to decide on a instructor to dunk at lunchtime.”
Jones-Poole mentioned the academics appear to be on board with the concept.
Principal Alistair Sim mentioned that like many colleges across the nation Shirley Major has not had persistently good attendance in recent times, with what he describes as a little bit of an ongoing Covid hangover.
He mentioned that they had tried punitive measures to encourage attendance at college however that had not labored, in order that they have been attempting a distinct method – some pleasure on the college gate on a Monday morning as an incentive for kids to get to highschool.
Jones-Poole mentioned there have been big advantages from youngsters attending college as usually as they will, and never only for the youngsters.
“Children coming to highschool ought to be celebrated. It is an superior factor that they and their dad and mom are doing.
“Attendance is not only a college or a Ministry of Training difficulty, or a dad or mum difficulty – it is a neighborhood difficulty. So what can we as a neighborhood do to make it an superior place to be? So that is what we do, we come and have a good time.”
So every Monday morning Jones-Poole units up the dunking machine and the youngsters hone their ability at hitting the goal. And sooner or later quickly they hope the numbers will imply they get the delight of seeing a bucket of water empty proper on high of their instructor’s head.