The school with a farm on site – but should it have animals?
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A Canterbury school is weighing up the future of animals on its farm as urban life spreads into the traditionally rural area.
Rangiora High School is exploring opportunities to make its farm relevant in the 21st century, board of trustees chairperson Simon Green says.
"The board is excited about moving away from a more traditional farm to an outdoor lab or outdoor classroom."
The school’s head of science, David Newsham-West, took a break from classroom duties this year to review the farm and explore future opportunities.
Principal Bruce Kearney said they needed to consider what was sustainable and added value to the school.
It meant the future of animals at the school was under consideration.
Options included moving from raring lambs to fattening stock, or moving away from animals altogether.
"The world is shifting to be more sustainable and shifting away from meat, so we need to prepare our students for a changing world," Kearney said.
The makeup of the school's students has also changed.
"When the school was established in the 1880s it was mostly farming families, but now more than 80 percent of our students are urban."
Kearney said they wouldn't sell the farm.
The school had been building connections with Lincoln University and was looking at a similar model.
"They do the full process really well on a larger scale, so we can learn from Lincoln and what they do and look to offer it on a smaller scale."
Green said the farm was placed under great scrutiny as the environment around the school became increasingly urbanised.
"It is like a glasshouse. People are looking in at what we are doing, whether it is raising farm animals, plants or biota nodes.
"And it is important to us for our learning to be seen in action, but we need to ensure that what we do is ethical."
Green said students who are keen on farming had the opportunity to spend time on a large scale dairy or dry stock farm during class time.
But the farm still had a role to play in giving students a taste of the rural sector and what opportunities were available.
The school was also looking to move all of its classrooms on to the main school site, on the west of East Belt, which would make more land available for the farm.
Newsham-West will present a proposal to the board by the end of the year, before consulting with the wider school community.
Kearney said the vision would include working alongside Lincoln University, the Ministry of Primary Industries and Environment Canterbury to prepare students for future careers in the rural sector.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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73% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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16% Hmm, maybe?
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11% Yes!
Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
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90.1% Yes
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9.9% No
Secure your homes over summer
Police are reminding people to keep their homes secure during the summer months.
Inspector Glenda Barnaby, Christchurch Area Prevention manager, says daytime burglaries are just as common as nightime burglaries.
“Burglaries can be committed at any time of the day, and coming into warmer months there is more opportunity for thieves."
"Although a majority of burglaries involve forced entry through windows and doors, we are starting to see more incidents at insecure premises. Police deal with cases where burglaries are committed in broad daylight, sometimes even while the victim is at home. Good weather means open doors and windows, which makes homes more vulnerable to burglars.”
Inspector Barnaby says there’s a few things people can do to reduce their changes of a burglary being committed.
⚠️ If you’re going outside for gardening, relaxing in the sun, or working in the garage, take a moment to lock your doors and secure your windows first.
⚠️ Do the same at night when you go to bed - keep your doors and windows secure and close your curtains. Fitting window stays means you can get a breeze coming through, while keeping your windows secure.
⚠️ Get to know your neighbours - let them know if you’re going away and look out for one another.”
If you see any suspicious activity, people or vehicles in your neighbourhood, don't hesitate to contact Police.
If you witness or suspect any illegal activity, please call 111 if it is happening now, or make a report through 105 either online or over the phone, if it is after the fact.
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