15 April 2016 College's farm keeps students at school

Northland College’s agricultural focus is helping to turn the once struggling secondary school into a success story, says the school’s Commissioner, Chris Saunders.

Absenteeism was an issue at the Kaikohe school, but truancy has halved since several initiatives were put in place to help prepare students for careers in agriculture, with Lincoln University contributing to Northland College’s curriculum and the operations of its commercial dairy farm.

“I think a big part of the success we’re seeing now is that we’re using the farm to offer students practical, primary industries-based training,” Mr Saunders says.

The University offers curriculum support that allows students to undertake on-farm courses, which will lead on to Lincoln qualifications.

“The farm is a significant asset for a small secondary school to own, so it’s very helpful to have Lincoln playing an active and supportive role with the management of it.”

Northland’s roll is up by 15 per cent from 2015, and more than 60 students are studying agriculture, compared to 17 last year.

Mr Saunders says the agricultural curriculum is “plugging a need in a big area of the far north”.

“There will be a real demand for these types of graduates, and we are now starting to match that in terms of the programmes we offer at the school.

“The agricultural focus has a real relevance for so many of the students in terms of employment opportunities and the needs of land owners.”

He says the school offers a full range of courses, from the more vocational aspects of agriculture through to the academic.

Lincoln University’s Telford campus, located in Balclutha, supports the delivery of two national certificates at Northland College: the Level Two Agriculture Introductory Skills course and the Level 3 Agriculture Feeding and Pastures course.

Telford Campus Manager Chris Hargest says Lincoln supplies teaching resources to students and helps to deliver practical training.

“We are involved in check marking and moderating assessments,” he says. “Towards the end of the year, the students come down to Telford for an assessment camp, where we assess them on the practical aspects of their course.”