The balance between practical and theoretical learning plays a significant part in education in New Zealand and is something that international families admire. Schools such as Saint Kentigern Girls’ School are well equipped with computers, the internet and the latest technologies, but also feature fields and swimming pools, allowing for outdoor sports and co-curricular and cultural activities.
With evidence of developing critical, creative and innovative thinkers, Saint Kentigern Girls’ School was particularly appealing to Year 10 student, Heather Dai and her mother who moved to New Zealand from China in 2018.
Heather said her mother wanted her to have an education where she not only studied in the classroom, but was given the opportunity to explore, experiment, discover, and problem solve in imaginative and playful ways.
"School in China is really strict and there is a lot of negative pressure around workloads. I studied so much that I found it boring and thought it was a bad thing. Here I get to spend time with my friends as well as study. I am a lot happier and learn a lot from my friends like communication and language skills which are important."
Students are presented with many educational opportunities in and outside of the classroom which allows them to explore New Zealand’s natural surroundings and learn about their environment. They are also presented with other outdoor activities they might otherwise never experience, for example, water rafting on school camps.
Experiences like these help develop confident, connected, curious, actively involved, lifelong learners who as a result, think more creatively, independently and analytically. They also make the transition between schools smoother for the student.
Heather is thankful to have made a lot of new friends and for the endless opportunities in both her academic and co-curricular studies. She says, "If you have the opportunity to attend Saint Kentigern Girls’ School, do it, you will be a lot more happier!"