their leaves all winter; our schoolboys mainly wear short trousers - and even some masters do in summer (knobbly knees and all!); and everybody likes to take his holidays at the open, sandy beaches where four good months of sun-bathing, surf-riding, water-skiing, fishing and walking, with temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees are normal.

THE CLIMATE

Basically New Zealand is warmer because it is closer

to the equator (our latitude is the equivalent of Spain's), but it is temperate because its narrowness means that the sea - an unsheltered ocean, in fact - is always close. On the other hand, because of being accustomed to New Zealand's latitude, we have loved your summer twilight; for 'back home' (a phrase used too often by 'foreigners', as you well know) the latest the twilight can extend to is about 8.30 - though this does have such advantages as beach bonfires being in the dark fairly early at night and Rugby being played after school (our winter days, of course, are compensatingly longer).

Another major difference is the sense of history here, made more obvious by centuries-old buildings. We do not need the warmth of solid brick or stone, nor (thank God!) the many ugly chimney stacks. Because of the plentiful supply of wood, our houses are mainly of this

material, and a really new house is the ideal (for wooden houses deteriorate relatively quickly) rather than your 'new' house of up to thirty or more years OLD! In addition, without any long traditions by your standards, the schools can switch buildings, often being in new, largewindowed, well-ventilated structures with low-roofed rooms that can be easily heated in our winter - a winter that has frosts, snow in the higher or more southerly areas aid cold winds, but is relatively short and has some of your 'summer' days.

EDUCATION

I guess that a major difference in the people results from the difference in the educational system. Ours is a fully State Comprehensive one without any such thing as an eleven-plus, but with streaming of classes within the usual third to sixth form schools. There are a few private schools, mainly church ones, that have academic entrance requirements, but they are insignificant in number, whlle the Roman Catholic schools - only Indirectly helped by educational funds for such things as books and teacher-training - run their schools in the main on comprehensive lines. We do, however, have the choice as to which school-type we go to; there is no compulsory moulding to one political party's educational policy if we arc prepared to finance what results from our choice. The general result is that all got its equal a chance as possible at being in classes of their own academic ability.

This is followed by all who pass or are accredited with their University Entrance, in four subjects including English, being able to get a place in a university if they want it. A lad who is poor can earn enough in

the summer vacations to put himself through university; and a girl can go a long way towards this because there is nearly full employment, and well-paid jobs arc fairly easy to find.

Therefore a New Zealander is separated in the classroom neither from the sons of the rich (that is, in descending order of salary, dentists, doctors, lawyers and accountants plus the large and small farmers and businessmen), nor from the sons of tradesmen, manual workers and so on. What is more, all students by working during vacations mix with all types of society. This Mao-ideal is voluntary and has led to a relatively classless society. However, distinctions according to money are now made, but New Zealand's small size means that no one becomes extremely wealthy and so such distinctions are not so obvious as here, where people can afford a Rolls for each day of the week and millionaires always seem to live nearby.

Furthermore nearly all pupils would be in a multiracial school, for hardly a school would not have some Maoris in it, while some are predominantly Polynesian in their roll. Consequently, whereas most Maoris are greatly influenced by Western civilisation, their own culture cannot go unnoticed by any New Zealander. So we have had it our environment during our formative years (to be all post-Freudian) an awareness of the happiness of this people, their 'she'll be all right' and

'live for the day' attitude, their love of rhythm and harmony in music and symmetrical symbolic design in art, appreciation of eloquence in speech, ability to reach European standards of academic success, given equal opportunity, and their wider love of family that includes the whole tribal group and leads to a less selfish and more communal way of life. The recognition of Maori civilisation as a different and yet worth-while one is probably largely due to the Maori ability at Rugby, the most popular sport in schools (some Maori ones playing no other) and the one talked about most over the jug of beer or between races at the local racecourse.

To look more closely at the studies that are grafted into our meninges: in general every pupil studies only five subjects for the School Certificate, equivalent of 'O' level, but English, a compulsory subject, includes English Language and Literature, and Social Studies (which includes Geography and History) as well as General Science must be taken for the two years preceding School Certificate. Thus everyone has a reasonably wide education, especially when (as here) some periods are devoted to Music and Physical Education, but also (for everyone) to sport and to such a craft as Woodwork or Art. The real difference occurs after this stage, as all passing into the sixth form carry on their five subjects for another year to University Entrance standard and a second year for Scholarship. Thus it is not until university that specialisation in depth is undertaken, which means that a high level of general education is attained by the majority, though the minority who continue their studies have both the advantage of this wide background and the disadvantage of having to reach in a shorter time the same depth of knowledge in a specialised field as the world's scholars.

SIMILARITY WITH INDIVIDUALITY

Are there no similarities then? Of course, since 90% of New Zealanders are descended from British immigrants, there are many. Apart from these: Highland Games, fish and chips, Marist Brothers and the proliferation of the name of Jones; Presbyterianism, Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism and Free Churches; golf courses, soccer

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