Otumoetai College

Teachers don’t really teach much just expect you to learn everything on google classroom, but school also has a lot of extra things to offer like a gym, rock climbing wall, a greenhouse and things like that and also a lot of good sporting chances.

I still have nightmares of this place. I don't know if the new principal has turned it around a bit in saome way. But when I went there, 75% of my time was spent wishing I knew how to tie a noose.

dont come its such a waste of time i couldnt even last a year

Teachers are rude and the school is always dirty and full of trash. I've learned nothing.

Its a pretty good school, definitely the best in the tauranga area (ive been to most of the colleges around here) however there are a couple of staff who let the whole school down and I think they need some straightening out.

This school is good but I perfer kindergarten better. I must say the dirt on the shook field is very tasty and rich and the teachers r chill. But I think all the kids r not cool, but I guess they just haven’t reached my level of coolness yet ( it’s very high and I haven’t met many with the level I’m on yet) BUT THE DAIRY ACROSS THE ROAD IS SOO EXPENSIVE LIGIT MADE ME BROKE ARGHHH.

My five year journey at OTC was genuinely very fulfilling and growth-oriented. The buildings can be leaky, have no working heating etc, but (most) of the staff do their job well and despite the state of the school it is a great place to learn. There is focus on not only academics, but also sports and the arts, which really balances the school’s multitude of successes each year.

Had a good time not a bad school. Only thing was there was this one Brooklyn fella always asking for a moisty still have no idea tf he was going on about. Strange dude.

I’ve always really loved school: always been on top of my grades: eager to go in the morning: very involved with all activities... all until I went to this school - I even dropped out which was a shock to everyone as I loved schooling so much. My experience there was terrible.

Before I start with a little more “important” reasons, I’d like to mention the poor dress code. Why should the boys have to shave their facial hair? Why should girls have to wear specific hair tie colours? These things are so illogical and don’t interfere with our education at all. Let the boys embrace their masculinity by allowing them to have facial hair if they choose to: let the girls use a hair tie or any colour. Let us express ourselves whilst wearing our uniform; having a pink hair tie or a tiny moustache is NOT contributing to our grades. Let us be our own individual self, diverse, whilst being together.

My science teacher told my friend and I to do a study on the Big Bang; in which we both done happily and without concern. It was only a problem when the teacher told us both that THIS is what we should believe in because our Gods and religions aren’t real and it is stupid. Us two (THIRTEEN year old) teenagers were trying to reason with a (FULLY GROWN) adult that everyone has their own beliefs and that’s okay - we were happy to do the study and learn about hers, yet she was still bringing us down for ours.

My social studies teacher done the same - but in (half) respect he had asked if anyone was religious before commenting, and I knew he wouldn’t have said anything in respect if I’d said I was. But because of what my science teacher had done, I felt ashamed to let my class know, so I didn’t tell him and let him speak. He told the class that religion is a load of bullock and the bible doesn’t even make sense and whoever believes it is brainwashed; further proceeding to give examples of why the bible was stupid and the class all replied in a “yea!”. I don’t mind people having different beliefs, and never did, but I just wish they all would’ve been more accepting and less discriminative of it.

Within the students there seems to be some type of culture based on your parents’ jobs: you’ll be loved and accepted more if you’re rich. They’re also so politically correct and will tear you down if you disagree; which I suppose isn’t their fault as the teachers do the same. The students are so heavily judgemental and the teachers don’t stop this behaviour if it’s reported.

Teachers really need to step up their game. They tell us to open a book and sometimes (sometimes) teach us about the lesson. That is all. They’re getting paid for telling us to flip through a page then scroll through Facebook the whole lesson: later getting angry or publicly shame us if we ask a question. I have never had less of a connection with my teachers in my life, nor been so upset with my education.

I don’t know what the subjects are like now, but a couple years ago (when I attended) they had minimal subjects you could choose to take and you HAD to take ones of certain topics - which wouldn’t have gotten me my credits I wanted for my career. Not only that, but most the subjects you chose to take in Year 10 were the ones you had to keep as in Year 11, most the time you couldn’t change as you needed to have taken the Year 10 subject. So technically this is asking thirteen/fourteen year olds to choose their life path; which is horrendous as we are still very young.

It’s disappointing to be unable to say my high school experience was a good one - and all of the students I’ve talked to there have said the same. It wasn’t even a warm one: we had to stay outside in the rain on wet or cold intervals.

I wish the teachers would nurture their students more in all ways: allow them to feel understood and welcomed even through the diversities: open up the halls on wet intervals to keep us healthy: actually care about our education and provide help (like they’re supposed to) when we’re struggling. This school has a lot of work to be done and I hope it happens for the future students.

Kia kaha whānau.

Teachers were chill, was always easy to go smoke weed in the gully aye.
Didn't do shit about bullying, though was pretty funny when that one kid brought a pot to a fight. 10/10 would learn again.

Although OTC has a reasonably bad reputation among students, the school overall is very satisfactory. The heaters in some classrooms don’t work, but most of the staff are great and I thoroughly enjoyed my five years there.