5 Feb 2024

Immigration has some Auckland high schools bursting at the seams

From Nine To Noon, 9:05 am on 5 February 2024
21790139 - writing hands of students at course

Photo: luckybusiness / 123RF

As students head back to class, some secondary schools are already chocka with immigration constantly contributing to roll growth. 

The unpredictability of even more students arriving is a major headache for many schools around Tāmaki Makaurau - causing stress on principals juggling resources and teachers who are already facing full classrooms.

A common complaint from schools spoken to by Nine to Noon is that the Ministry of Education hasn't adequately informed schools of projected growth.

In some cases prefabs have been located at schools over the summer just so students will have somewhere to sit. 

Patrick Gale is the Principal of the country's largest school, Rangitoto College on Auckland's North Shore, and Greg Pierce who is the immediate past President of the Auckland Secondary Principals Association outline the pressures many schools are under.