1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: It turns out we love a private school, more and 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: more parents lining up. In some cases, now enrollments are 3 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: closed until twenty twenty seven. Families are being asked to 4 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 1: submit videos of their home life, and entrance tests are 5 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: being made Tougher parents are fighting for a better curriculum, qualifications, 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: smaller class sizes, independent schools of New Zealand. Boss Guy 7 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 1: Pasco's well this guy, very good morning to you, Mike. 8 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 2: How are you very well? 9 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: Indeed, thank you boom times. This is good, isn't it. 10 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, it certainly is goofel or some schools. But 11 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: I would say that while there's really high demand in 12 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 2: certain areas like Auckland, in other parts of the country, 13 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:34,880 Speaker 2: it's not uniform across all schools. 14 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: I was going to ask you, is this a main center, 15 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: think as this an Auckland, Wellington christ Jedge thing. 16 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is the main center, so I think, I mean, 17 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: certainly there are some schools in the regions that are 18 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: doing well as well. But as I said before, it's 19 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 2: it's like uniform. 20 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: Is this a noticeable spike or what we've been discussing 21 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: for many, many years, there's a sort of malaise around 22 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: some of the public school system and the qualifications and 23 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: the attention and the turning up and all of that, 24 00:00:58,080 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: and therefore you drift naturally to private. 25 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, a good question. I mean, we have noticed an 26 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 2: increase in enrollment in independent schools since COVID, and that's 27 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: actually been observed internationally as well. 28 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: Oh really, so it's not just New Zealand, because I 29 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: can mount you a fairly substantive case that says our 30 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: public systems in deep, deep trouble. And I'm not surprised 31 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: at any of this, but you can tell me it 32 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: happens all over the world. 33 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 2: Well, it certainly was a post COVID response that internationally 34 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 2: we're sun to see a kind of a decline, And 35 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 2: obviously what's happened in the UK has had increditiveness that's 36 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 2: on their independent school system at the moment. But yeah, 37 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,479 Speaker 2: our numbers have kind of been hovering around four percent 38 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,199 Speaker 2: nationally for a number of years. 39 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: Who in a costable living crisis so called how do 40 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: you afford this? 41 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 2: Well, I mean that's a really good point, and appearance 42 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 2: are making huge financial sacrifices to up to send their 43 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: children to the school of their choice, and something that 44 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 2: you know, we are concerned about is that at some 45 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: point there will be at some point where no apperients 46 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: just something you can't afford it anymore. 47 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: Do you get something better? And I know the answer 48 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: to this because I'm a parent of five and I've 49 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: gone through private and public and integrated every school going 50 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: in the country. Does going to private give you a 51 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: better education? 52 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: Well, ultimately that's for parents and families to decide. I mean, 53 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: there are some incredible things happening in independent schools around 54 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: the country, and the results speak for themselves. But that's 55 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: not to say there aren't amazing things happening in state 56 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 2: schools as well, And we're just something advocating for independent 57 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: schools as a small but very critical part of the 58 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 2: wider sector. 59 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: Interesting, all right, Guy appreciated Guy Pasco Independent Schools of 60 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: MW Zealand CEO. I'll come back to that my experience 61 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: if I have time, because I have a fairly well 62 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: honed view on that. 63 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 64 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 65 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.