The 18-year-old picked up nine accolades in total - including 2018 dux, top Maori scholar, and five subject awards. Continue reading

"They're enquiring, they're confident to ask. At that age, I would never have asked a politician a question, certainly not in public," he said.

"They're watching the world. There was a question about the US elections. When we were that age, we wouldn't have paid any attention to what's happening in the US election."

"I just really enjoy talking with younger people because they're forward-looking and basically optimistic," English said.

"It's a good way to make sure you [as a government] are on track because you're trying to create a country where they feel they have a stake and they can get ahead."

The school's head boy, Liam Gilheamy-Black said he had a better understanding of how politics worked and what the deputy prime minister actually does.

"I learned there is a lot of different structures that go into politics and it's important there is a diverse group of people, that they're not all too similar."

Gilheamy-Black has no political aspirations - he wants to be a doctor - and he's leaning towards voting Labour. But he responded positively to hearing English's life story.

"I thought he would just talk a lot of politics, so I was quite happy that he talked about his experiences growing up.

"I think the boys typically think that what is 'right' is what the general population, what the majority chooses."

"But I think Bill English showed us that being an MP you can have your own voice and your own opinion and that doesn't necessarily have to be the majority's view."

English spoke about going to a catholic school and how a marist education gives the boys, in his opinion, a good set of values to start life with.

He told them about his upbringing in Southland, the fact he couldn't get a job with his English literature degree and how he fell into politics at 28 years old.

He mentioned his views on euthanasia and abortion and that sometimes political decisions aren't popular, but they're necessary.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: facebook.com

Huon Fraser, 18, had the highest score for the subject in the last round of the challenging NZQA exams.

He was under the tutelage of Shaun Healy, who also taught the year before's winner.

Fraser, also the school's 2014 dux, was "really stoked" with his recent result.

"I didn't think it was possible to get top . . . Still don't know how I did it," he said.

"[Mr Healy] must be a great teacher if he gets that two years in a row."

The boys are already joking that "Healynomics" is the secret to success. Questions in last year's essay-based exam were based around current economic issues in New Zealand, such as the housing market. Continue reading

The teacher resigned on Friday after allegations that she had sex with two students at St John's College in Hamilton New Zealand.

Hamilton Police, who received a complaint on Monday, said there was no criminal offending in the case.

The matter is now being investigated by the New Zealand Teachers' Council.

Philip Morgan QC said that in the eyes of the law the female teacher had done nothing wrong, even though her alleged actions amounted to professional misconduct.

Mr Morgan said the only difference in the situation was that it involved a teacher and student.

"Because by the age of 17 most young people these days are already sexually active, it's just they are doing it with people of a similar age and fellow students, not their teachers."

In a criminal sense he said there was no difference in a role reversal of the situation, even though society might be more appalled at an older male teacher becoming involved with a younger female student.

"It's obviously a matter of grave concern for any school or possibly the Teachers' Council but if she's 17 and she's consenting it's not an offence and that's exactly the same if it's a female teacher and a male student."

Sex crimes were those that happened with children under 12, however there was a defence for sex with a child aged between 12 and 16, Mr Morgan said.

"You have a defence if the complainant consented and you're of much the same age."

He thought police would not bother charging two underage people in a consenting relationship and if one of them was over 16 they had a defence.

After receiving the allegations the school immediately suspended the teacher.

An investigation was initiated which resulted in the teacher's decision to resign with immediate effect.

"It makes you feel sick, absolutely it makes you feel sick because I'm an old boy of this school ... I'm a Catholic through and through, I went through Marist Intermediate, St John's College and my brothers did as well," said the College's Principal Shane Tong.

"This place, I love working here it's fantastic and these young men, are fine young men and I really enjoy what I do ... Its just a sense of feeling so let down I guess."

The teacher against whom the allegations were made graduated this year and has a three-year provisional practising certificate which expires in July 2017.

In the 2012-2013 financial year, the Teachers' Council referred 39 cases to its Disciplinary Tribunal, a quasi-judicial body that conducts hearings in a manner similar to a court.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Stuff.co.nz
• New Zealand Herald
• New Zealand Herald
• Image: stjohns-hamilton.school.nz