Latest news with #Papanui
RNZ News
5 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Papanui High School brings back uniforms for seniors after decades without
School uniforms at Papanui High School will be compulsory for year 13s in 2026. (File photo) Photo: Left Hand Rotation/Flickr A Christchurch college is bringing back uniforms for senior students after decades of them wearing their own clothes, despite strong opposition from its community and students. At the moment, year 13 students at Papanui High School get to wear their own clothes in their final year. The school surveyed more than 800 students, teachers and community members about a uniform refresh. Overwhelmingly, students and the community did not want uniforms made compulsory for year 13. Some of the teenagers said wearing their own clothes in their final year helped prepare them for the workplace and was a reward for staying in school. A petition's been launched to try and halt the change. But for now, the uniform will be compulsory for year 13 from next year. Papanui High School Principal Robert Gilbert told Checkpoint the main reason the school decided to re-introduce uniform was down to "safety concerns". "We're a very large school, now 1600 students... the school is so large that it's not possible to keep our student community safe because we don't know who the people are on site when they're not wearing a uniform." Gilbert said it had become nearly impossible to differentiate year 13 students from other groups of people on site. "We can't differentiate between say a year 13 student, maybe a trainee teacher, maybe a year 12 student out of uniform, a visitor, or some thug down the road coming in to sell drugs." While Gilbert could not confirm if there had been drug dealers on the school site, there had been issues with non-students entering the grounds. "We wouldn't know because we can't tell which are our students and which aren't. That's probably the point. "We have certainly had unwanted people on site, usually from other schools not in uniform and causing havoc in our school, and it has become a health and safety issue." He said there had also been issues when it came to students off school grounds, particularly at the shopping mall next door. "We want to be able to know where our students are... so if our year 13's go to the shopping mall, that they're identified as representatives and role models from our school, and not just any other random teenager who's wandering through the mall." He said it wasn't uncommon that their students had been accused of behaviour they weren't responsible for, due to their lack of uniform. "What happens if you've got other youths in the mall who are causing trouble? We automatically get blamed because we're the school right next door, whereas if they're in uniform, they're easily identifiable." Gilbert said while the school had considered other options to identify students, such as an ID card, lanyard, or badge, health and safety was not the only factor in reinstating the uniform. "That is a big reason, but that's not the sole reason. "For a lot of students, having a wardrobe, a selection of clothing, the right labels, clean clothes, it is not a problem for them, but for some families that's an issue." He also had concerns about causing divides between the students. "What we actually end up doing by saying you can wear whatever you like... is we start creating an us and them situation with our students." As a solution to this issue, year 13 students can currently opt into wearing a uniform if they would like to. However, Gilbert said this option was no longer viable due to the added health and safety concerns. He also cited a sense of belonging and pride for the students who had managed to reach year 13. However, in a survey sent out to students, staff and community about the proposed changes, only 24 percent of year 13 students supported a compulsory uniform. Parents said they were only made aware of the change through a school newsletter, which outlined progress on the development of a refreshed uniform. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Christchurch high school bringing back uniforms
education about 1 hour ago A Christchurch college is bringing back uniforms for its senior students after decades of them wearing their own clothes, despite its community and students strongly opposing the move. Some of the teenagers said wearing their own clothes in their final year helps prepare then for the workplace and it is also a reward for staying in school. A petition's been launched to try and halt the change, Papanui High School Principal Robert Gilbert spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Otago Daily Times
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Eric's not ready to throw in the towel
'You learn as you grow older, you learn more, and you never stop learning. There's always different things you can learn,' says Eric Sincock, who has spent 26 years coaching at Papanui Boxing with that philosophy always front of mind. Now 82, Eric has stepped back from running the club but still shows up three nights a week, and on Sundays, to train fighters. 'If you can do something for people, why not?' he said. He credits his wife Pam for her support during his life of coaching. 'You have to have the backing from home because you put a bloody lot of time into it,' he said. 'Pam used to wash all the gear from tournaments. They (family) are in the background but they make it easier for you.' Eric and fellow Papanui coaches Sam Watt, Mike Pimley, and Graham Cloney had five of their charges in the ring at the Canterbury Match Bout hosted by Woolston Boxing Club and Canterbury Boxing last Saturday. Eric first got involved in the club in 1999 due to Pimley, who had founded it in 1978. At the time, both were working as slaughtermen at the Belfast meat works. 'I used to follow the boxing and then Mike said: 'Why don't you come down one night?' 'I must have got some enjoyment to keep going for so long, and I like trying to help people too,' Eric said. Today, he and Paul Fitzsimmons from FitzBoxing, both 82, are the oldest active coaches in Canterbury after Alex Fidow died earlier this year at 91. Eric has rubbed shoulders with several top boxers – padding for the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team in his early days at the club was an eye-opener into the level needed to coach at the top. 'Phil Shatford was a trainer (at Papanui), and he was New Zealand coach,' Eric said. 'In about 2000, he came into the gym with the Commonwealth Games team, and he said 'you go and pad them'. '(It was) pretty daunting, Shane Cameron and all them. Phil made me do it, but once I had done it, I had the confidence to go on.' Eric went on to coach Canterbury five times between 2001 and 2015. At Papanui, fighters aren't charged to be a member. Instead, they are asked to give a donation, which Eric said works well, with a number of fighters coming from low-income backgrounds. 'Some can afford it and some can't, but most of them will put in a donation,' he said. 'And Sam (Watt, coach) is an accountant, he knows how to get some (gaming trust) funding.' Though Watt now oversees day-to-day operations at the club, Eric has no plans to quit coaching. 'It keeps me going, I suppose. If you get to my age, it's day-by-day, week-by-week, but I intend to carry on as long as I can. 'We (he and Pimley) have paid a lot of money out of our own pocket to get boys here and there. We wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for the love of the sport and helping someone. 'Guys who have had a harder life, you can save them from going down the wrong track.' Married: To Pam for 56 years Occupation: Retired, former slaughterman Favourite boxer: Roberto Duran
