With regards to education, I believe the children are under less pressure in this country, to 'perform' well. By this I mean, although academic qualification and achievements are certainly recognised, there is also equal praise and reward for doing well in other areas, e.g. sport, singing, community work, etc. The schools are rated on a decile scale, ranging from 0 to 10, with 10 being generally the 'better' schools, i.e. they receive less government funding due to them being in a well-off area, therefore parents/caregivers are able to contribute more money to the school in the form of fees, fundraising, etc. The higher decile rated schools are generally more well-equipped and have higher performance levels.

Obviously, as a general rule, the bigger the town/city you live in, the bigger the school. To give you a guide, we live in Hamilton, the 4th largest city in NZ, and our daughters school has just under 500 pupils (including intermediate pupils).

Overall, the education standard is high. There are problems, as in any country, but I believe they are dealt with appropriately. Depending on the nature of your child/children, you may find it best to send them to a small local school or a larger one.

We have found NZ to be, so far, very child-friendly and accepting of our 'little people' :icon_biggrin: . They are allowed in most pubs/bars/restaurants up until a reasonable hour and provided they behave!

The family (Whanau) culture is promoted strongly here, with a great emphasis on youth and how we can raise the next generation well, and schools in particular, are always stressing how we can make our kids feel valued and loved.

I saw three children through school in the UK and saw them forced to grow up too quickly and pressurised to perform well. By comparison, since our youngest daughter started school just over a year ago, I see how she is encouraged to do well in things she enjoys and excels at, but I also see how she is allowed to be a child and grow up at her own pace and in her own time.

Sorry to harp on about this so much, just realised how much I've written :icon_eek: but it is something I feel very strongly about and thank my lucky stars for every day that she is growing up in this environment.

Sorry also, that I can't be more specific about particular towns/cities that are 'child-friendly' but pretty much everywhere is!

There are problems for sure - gang violence, suicide, drugs - more so than in some other countries - but I believe with the right parenting, the right education and the right attitude, kids have a better chance in this country.