Making the most of masks by Maia Gascoigne

and 19 for lower secondary school, lower than the OECD’s average of 21 in primary and 23 in intermediate/ lower secondary. This does not mean the majority of classes are of 20 or 19 students, because just like any other country, it caters for a range of different class sizes.

An average day in German schools starts between 7:30 and 8:15am. The day is made up of 5 or 6 45-minute lessons with a 5-to-10-minute break between each one. There are two 20-minute breaks in the day, and after lunch, around 12-1:30pm, students leave school or stay later to participate in extracurricular activities. The German education system focuses on the three Rs, similar to New Zealand. Children start school at the age of 6 and full-time schooling is compulsory up to the age of 15, though education usually lasts until the age of 18. Years 1-4 are spent in primary school, and then Year 5 upwards is when it gets interesting. Students have 4 different types of secondary school they can go to, academic secondary (‘Gymnasium’), comprehensive secondary (‘Gesamtschule’), secondary (‘Realschule’) or secondary general schooling (‘Hauptschule’). Each of these secondary schools is a pathway to some type of further education, and the best fit for the student depends on where they are planning to go after school and what sort of education they want to get – if they prefer to have a wide range of basic knowledge or look into a few subjects in depth.

A regular school day in the UK starts around 8 or 9am and ends around 3 or 4pm, an average of 5-6 hours, but school hours depend on the school. In 2020, the average class size was 24.5 and in 2018, studies show there were 16.4 students per teacher in English schools. Schools in England are split into Junior school (Year 1-6) and Senior school (913), Year 7 and 8, in some schools, are added onto Junior school, much like a full primary in New Zealand, in others, Year 7 and 8 are part of Senior school.

Unlike Finland, Norway and New Zealand, English schools do not have an in-between. In Year 10 and 11, students take GCSE exams (General Certificate of Secondary Education).

These results will later contribute to further studies and their University admissions. In Years 12 and 13, students are preparing for university by taking A (Advanced) level examinations. These exams are recognised by all universities in the UK. The school year in the UK is quite different to ours. Instead of 4 terms, English schools have 6 terms, or in some parts of the country 3. The school year runs from September to July with 3 main holidays, two weeks in Spring and at Christmastime, and 6 weeks in the Summer. There are 3 one-week holidays, in October, mid-February and the end of May.

Each of these schooling systems have a different take on how best to educate their students, whether that’s focusing on inclusiveness, giving a personalised experience or being relaxed and extracurricular. In my opinion, it is good to have a variation. We also need to think about what is best for the students. We’ve been going by the same system for so many years because it was already here without considering if it is beneficial for our students or not.

A one size fits all approach is not going to cut it for most of our students, which is why different types of schools to suit different learning styles as seen in Germany is something we should consider.

A shorter day and less stressful environment will help students concentrate better and enjoy what they are doing and striving to give everyone access to a good education is important.

New Zealand could have the best of all worlds. We are unique and innovative, so I think a mix of different styles is what will work best for everyone. There is no need to stick to the tradition of 9-3, pass and fail, five working days and as much homework as we can possibly cram in. We need to look at what’s already out there and think up our own way to do it, even if that means throwing out the rule book.

Scrap the system, we need choice in learning style, a less stressful learning environment and to teach what is useful not what is traditional.

At least one thing is clear. We need change.

MAKING THE MOST OF MASKS

MAIA GASCOIGNE makes the case for masks.

Why we should be wearing a mask? Wearing a mask can minimise the spread of the COVID-19 virus, colds, the flu and other sicknesses. When you sneeze, speak, laugh and cough, droplets are released into the air and go on to furniture and other things in public places. With COVID being around, most people are wearing a mask in shops or in public places. These are places you could catch COVID. People like to wear masks to keep their families safe. Especially families with young children, elderly people and vulnerable family members. With COVID being around for so long, people made masks fashionable for themselves. They have all the colours you can think of, loads of patterns, different sizes and custom ones too. After talking to a few of my classmates I’ve heard they really don’t like masks because they are uncomfortable. Some find it hard to breathe and others don’t like it hanging from their ears. It can be really annoying to have to wear it out in public or in shops. Trying to hear people talk with a mask on can be difficult because they might be a quiet person and you won’t hear them very well. In mask-wearing (when we had to wear a mask) some people got used to it, but for most people it was hard because they found it uncomfortable. When we had to wear masks at school my friends would complain about wearing them and take them off when they got the chance. One girl in my class tried to strap the mask around her head to make it more comfortable. Another girl would wait for the teacher to walk outside and she would sneak her mask off. When she got a chance to go outside, she would pull her mask off straight away even if it was for ten seconds of fresh air. Do you wear a mask, and why?