Class to develop better men

A visit to a school in Texas has inspired King's High School rector Dan Reddiex to start a class focusing on developing better men.

This year, King's introduced a new module into its Year 9 classes called King's Men's Society, which is designed to teach young men what it means and what it looks like to be a good man.

The course is compulsory for Year 9 and will be extended to all pupils during the next couple of years.

Mr Reddiex, who runs the class, said the idea for the class came from a similar course called The Gentlemen's Society which runs at a school in Fort Worth in the United States.

''I visited the man who ran this programme and was inspired by the difference that his programme was making in the lives of some young men in the USA.''

Changes had been made to some of the concepts to suit the school's resources and so it would fit in a context which would better suit the school, he said.

When the idea was first put to parents at a meeting last year many parents were excited about the new course, he said.

''Many commented that they would be delighted to see the school reinforcing the standards and expectations they were setting at home,'' he said.

University of Otago School of Education senior lecturer Steven Sexton said classes like the one at King's were usually perfect for a majority of people.

Not having any knowledge of the specifics, Dr Sexton said he could not comment directly on the King's class but it was important to note the course would probably not work for everyone.

There would be a minority who would probably find it hard to follow what was being taught in the classes, he said.

''Courses like this really appeal to fathers who want their children to grow up into proper men and households where there is not a male role model.''

King's was most probably doing a good job at making sure the course did not alienate pupils, he said.

The new course covers topics such as valuing education and how to act like a sophisticated man, which looks at dining etiquette, dress code, appropriate language and the power of first impressions.