Talk:Palmerston North Boys' High School

Fake entries
Due to the number of fake entries of old boys from this school I think we need to have references for anyone listed. Right now Steven Old appears to be the only one with some documentation here. Perhaps we can mail the old boys assn for a legit list? - 10:35, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * The All Blacks from Boys High are all listed here. Don't know about the Black Caps. Z iggurat 10:39, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * A name list of only sportsmen does not reflect well on the school, if that is the objective of filling up the name list. A short list of 4-5 names should be enough, since this isn't the Old Boys' Roll or something. I say keep Hollows and a pair or so of the sportsmen. Also I'd like to support the request for references. I'd say that in this case school pages are a good source since the schools reputations are at stake for incorrectly claiming non-students as their own. Mr Bluefin 12:16, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't see the need to arbitrarily select a certain number of entries, as that seems to require an overly subjective assessment on the part of us editors. We should be aiming to be informative, after all, and I don't see how a longer list really detracts from this (compare Hunter College High School, for example). Sourcing is, however, important. Z iggurat 12:23, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Of course being informative is a goal, but I also believe that giving the right impression is also important, in the sense that an article which goes into to much inappropriate detail might give an impression that XYZ City High School is a shining Andover or Eton, or even the opposite case, and that long lists be compiled only when the school publishes its own Old Boys Roll/Register etc (since it means that it has something to show off). I think that if Wikipedia is the first place a long list appears then it might even border on original research (even if a list of $$n$$ names was compiled by $$n$$ different WP editors) since its a novel expression of existing information (though it could be said that by that argument the whole of Wikipedia is in violation of that statement :D) Mr Bluefin 12:34, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Regarding it being a novel expression, this is really only original research if it serves to advance a position (WP:OR), which I don't see here at all. As for giving the right impression, I tend towards Eventualism, that is, that eventually someone is going to add more content on the history, controversies, practices, etc. of this school, and when we get to that point a minimalised list of alumni is going to harm rather than aid the 'complete' article. I think a reasonable compromise would be to include alumni that 1. can be sourced as coming from this high school, 2. have Wikipedia articles. That'll keep the nonsense to a minimum, but will avoid making subjective judgements about who is and who isn't an alumni worthy of inclusion (that, to my mind, would be OR by implication). Z iggurat 20:54, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Decided to add "Tim Richardson" to the Old boys' list. Verifiation is here. And I wanted to make the en dashes more consistent with the spacing (i.e Name Surname - Recognition is a good format to sustain). (Lord Shivan (talk) 07:02, 1 August 2008 (UTC))

Roll?
Can somebody pop over and count the pupils? There sseem to be different numbers in different parts of the website. Perhaps contacting them for the actual number? - SimonLyall 11:29, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I go to this school and currently there are 1670 students. Aarhap 19:22, 1 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I guess the roll bounces up and down a bit from month to month so the "approximately 1700" which we have now seems like reasonable wording. - SimonLyall 03:09, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

Old Boys List
Purely on consistency, the list of Notable Old Boys is quite disordered and lacking any sort of formality. For examples we have labeled players with "Soccer" and "All Whites", with the "Soccer" example, we need to be more specific, by giving the highest achieved team they have accomplished as their nobility. It would also be great if the list had some sort of order or grouping, maybe chronological order relative to when they were at school or how old they are or by alphabetical order. I would be happy enough to go over this page and make the neccessary adjustments, but I would like a certain way that suits most of the people that loom over these articles. (Lord Shivan (talk) 07:15, 1 August 2008 (UTC))

Move to Palmerston North Boys' High School
move. Anthony Appleyard (talk) 07:22, 9 March 2010 (UTC) Hi I was attempting to revert vandalism and typing in a hurry so I put the apostrophe in the wrong place. Hope a passing admin can fix this.--Beligaronia (talk) 05:12, 9 March 2010 (UTC)

Religion
It appears that a couple of editors have objected to the changes made concerning Christian-themed religious practices in the school assemblies.

If the issue is lack of source then most of this page wouldn't exist so clearly there is a problem with the factual accuracy of such an assertion. If there are current Palmy Boy's students who wish to come forward with their experiences concerning the existence or lack of religion in the school assemblies please do so.

Thanks Potzzz (talk) 07:56, 4 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Items which are controversial must be sourced. You said that the religious practices were controversial in this edit. The source you have since quoted indicates that op[t-out Christian services in schools are acceptable. You seem to have a problem with the services, but this is not an appropriate subject for Wikipedia to cover.- gadfium 08:15, 4 January 2011 (UTC)

Which they are; refer to your talk page or mine where I point out the reasons for this controversy. However, I changed the content when I reposted so you're clearly taking issue with the new content. The source cited indicates the opt-out Christian services in schools are strictly legal. So I'd like to know what the issue is with the current content.

Is it: 1) The fact they provide Christian-themed religious services in assembly? 2) The fact they allow parents to opt-out on behalf of the students?

Here's a source which supports the controversial nature of religion in schools: http://www.maxim.org.nz/index.cfm/policy___research/article?id=844

Refer especially to the proposed Ministry of Education guidelines.

Potzzz (talk) 23:27, 4 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Please provide a suitable source which backs up what you say. So far you have attempted to add two sources, but neither mention the school.- gadfium 05:27, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

As a recent old boy of PNBHS, I can assure you that the Lord's Prayer is recited in a full school assembly every morning and Scripture is read about once a week. There is no option to opt out, either by the students or their parents. Rather the assumption is that if you do not agree, you go to a different school. This tradition has been around since the school began, and it is very unlikely given the culture of PNBHS that anyone will change this tradition any time soon. On occasion (such as Prizegiving, ANZAC Service, memorial services, etc), Christian hymns (For All The Saints) are sung, prayers are said and Bible readings are read. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.188.220.192 (talk) 01:47, 17 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Without a reliable source saying that, we can't include that information. Stuartyeates (talk) 01:53, 17 September 2012 (UTC)