Provincial Schools Surpass Big City Friends

MEDIA RELEASE
May 28, 2001

Provincial Schools Surpass Big City Friends For Top Honours

New Zealand’s provincial schools have out shone their peers in the big cities in the 2000 Goodman Fielder School of the Year Awards with the former taking two thirds of the 15 finalist places.

Geographically the country is well represented, from Northland to Otago, however North Island schools dominate the list of finalists.

Chairperson of the Goodman Fielder School of the Year judging panel, the Rt. Hon. David Lange, says the calibre of entries has continued to rise since the awards’ inception in 1997.

“The judging panel’s job was as usual very difficult with an extremely high standard of entries featuring educational initiatives carried out in the first year of the new millennium. These entries reflect the quality of education in this country and the high standard we saw bodes well for the future,” he says.

Joining Mr Lange on the judging panel were former Governor-General Dame Catherine Tizard, Gary McCormick, April Ieremia, Goodman Fielder representative Colin Wise and educationalists Pat Riley and Noel Scott.

Goodman Fielder Managing Director – New Zealand, Ron Vela, says honouring excellence in education through the Goodman Fielder School of the Year Awards is the company’s way of giving something back to the community that has supported it for many years.

“Schools are the cornerstone of any local community and Goodman Fielder is delighted to contribute to New Zealand education through an awards’ programme that recognises and rewards outstanding performance and achievements,” says Mr Vela.
The principal and a student representative from each finalist school will be flown to Wellington to attend a special awards ceremony on Wednesday June 27, at which time the winners and two runners up of each category will be announced along with the overall 2000 Goodman Fielder School of the Year.

The five category winners with each receive $10,000 cash and the 10 runner up schools $1000 each. The overall winner, chosen from one of the five category winners, will be presented with an additional $40,000.

The 15 finalist schools are (in alphabetical order by category):

Small Primary/Intermediate Hora Hora School – Cambridge
Tinui School – Wairarapa
Wyllies Crossing – Mosgiel, Otago

Medium Primary/Intermediate Mountain View Primary – Mangere
Ohaeawai Primary – Kaikohe
Russell Street School – Palmerston North

Large Primary/Intermediate Awapuni School – Gisborne
Papatoetoe Intermediate – Papatoetoe, Manukau City
Tauranga Intermediate – Tauranga

Secondary Auckland Girls’ Grammar – Auckland
Hamilton Boys’ High School – Hamilton
Waitaki Girls’ High School – Oamaru

Composite Carmel College – Milford, Auckland
Maniototo Area School – Ranfurly, Otago
Otamatea High School – Maungaturoto, Northland

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