Expert Info

Posted by
on 11 Jun 2014
Hi.. We are a family of 4 planning to make a move to Auckland NZ from India as we have our residency visa . I hold a Civil Engg qualification and certified to live and work in NZ . I want to be part of the rebuild in Auckland or Christchurch . I have a daughter of 11 yrs and son of 5.5 yrs of age who would need enrolment to a school in Auckland . I was keen to ask how is the education system there and for them to adapt to the cultural changes and systems of teaching. I would expect an initial culture shock but I understand that with so many Indians well settled in Auckland in particular , this shouldn't be difficult ? Is there any sort of bullying or other difficulties that migrants could face in school being from different origins and cultures ? It is a tough decision to make as they need to be uprooted from reputed schools back her in Mumbai,India which they are happily attending to . Are there in particularly good public schools that I should keep an eye for ? Besides which are some of the good residential neighbourhoods that one could consider to stay in ? Any other tips would be extremely valuable and appreciated Look forward to your guidance Regards
Anonymous (not verified) on 17 Jun 2014 - 07:45
Hi Deepak

I spent a little while staying with family in Auckland, so I hope I can address some of your concerns.

Some of the most popular suburbs in Auckland include Ponsonby, Parnell, New Market,  and Mount Eden. I spent a fair amount of time in the North Shore area, and there were quite a few suburbs there that seemed really nice, with a range of accommodation to satisfy a variety of budgets.

I know that there is a substantial Indian population in West Auckland, specifically the Waitakere area, if being in a culturally familiar environment is important to you.

A good resource for finding accommodation in New Zealand is TradeMe, the local equivalent of sites such as Craigslist.

As for your children, bullying is unfortunately a reality as it is in many schools, and there is the odd racially motivated incident. As much as bullying and racism should always be condemned, these factors have not stopped an expanding Asian population from settling there. You can have a look at our Education and Schools in New Zealand page to get a better idea of the system there.

I hope that you have a successful, happy move.

Best of luck, 

Xavier
Anonymous (not verified) on 17 Jun 2014 - 09:13
Hi Xavier Thanks for the valuable information !!

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