NZ doesn't have a lot of private schools. We used to but there was a deal made that the church schools were absorbed into the public sector as 'special character schools'. This means they have the same teachers and curriculum as other state (the state as in the country) schools with add ons. Where I am there is a private intermediate (years 7/8) and a steiner(waldorf) primary about an hour away. Our schools do sound more pleasant than a lot I read about on these boards but they have many of the same problems on a smaller scale and I think the differences are due to size and location rather than absense of private options. My children do not appear to find school unpleasant but they don't learn much either.

Last edited by puffin; 03/06/15 12:49 PM.