Houses are getting more and more expensive these days, yet they are more and more important. Secondary schools have since forever had limits on who can apply and enroll in the school roll. This is normally done by partitioning the city into “zones” where students in the correct zones are automatically accepted into the school.

Clearly some schools are better than the others.

Schools like Westlake Boys/Girls High School continually dominate rankings and achievements, especially on the North Shore. Why send your kid to Birkenhead College when there’s a chance for them to go to Westlake? And that is the thought of many parents nowadays as they either try to cheat the system (“Hey can I borrow your letterbox?”) to even purchasing a house that is in-zone in order to secure their child’s education. Even though education is no guarantee of success, it definitely helps a lot and I can see why parents are willing to go above and beyond for their kids. I recently stumbled over a Westlake Boys High School zoning information page and this reflects my sentiments exactly. There is a huge influx of demand for such properties as families seek to have their kids receive a very good education.  I applaud them but at the same time I realise how difficult it must be for those who do not even have the privilege to own their own home. Such is life, I guess we all have something to strive for.

Houses in these areas are undoubtedly flash and honestly, we’re all jealous of them (whether we like to admit it or not). If all their money is hard-earned, there’s nothing to hate. Let’s try to prosper as a nation together. If Auckland housing doesn’t fix itself, rent! Or save for an apartment. We need to take control of our own futures, while politics is important and lobbying, demonstrating, protesting has its merits, I believe the crux of this is entitlement. Let’s not be entitled and work hard and earn everything ourselves.