Next year's year 12 and 13 NCEA and IB history students will have the opportunity to experience the history, culture and society of Vietnam.
Vietnam and the Indochina Wars are key topics in both Level 2 NCEA and the International Baccalaureate programmes. We believe our young men will benefit immensely from experiencing the history, the people, and the culture of Vietnam first-hand. Being able to visit sites of historical significance that otherwise we would only read about, discuss or view through images and documentaries, will enhance the students’ understanding of the issues surrounding Vietnam. Exposure to differing perspectives, and the reasons people hold them, is also crucial to broadening their understanding of the world around them. The trip is planned for the April school holidays in 2016 during the dry season in Vietnam and well before NCEA exams.
The proposed itinerary prepared for us by our preferred travel agent begins with acclimatising to the Southeast Asian environment by spending two nights in Singapore, visiting the zoo and the Singapore Eye. From there we will head to Ho Chi Minh City where we will explore the city on a cyclo tour, visit the War Museum, the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Ben Thanh market. We will also have the privilege of exploring the Cu Chi tunnels and learning to cook Vietnamese style. After Ho Chi Minh City we will head to Hoi An and then spend a full day at My Lai, the poignant site of the 1968 massacre of up to 500 Vietnamese civilians by US Armed Forces. Travelling via the Hai Van Pass, once rated by National Geographic as one of the 50 ‘must do’ journeys in the world, we will arrive at Hue and spend a full day touring the de-militarised zone and see the Imperial Tombs via boat on the Perfume River. We will travel to Hanoi on an overnight train to visit the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and Hanoi Hilton. The two weeks will finish with a night sailing on a Chinese junk in beautiful Halong Bay before returning to New Zealand via a stopover in Singapore.
Parents are welcome on the trip and will not be required in a supervisory role, and as such will be paying members. If you choose to join us, your son will be under teacher supervision and responsibility.
We would like expressions of interest by Thursday 2nd April. This will determine if the trip is feasible. A non-refundable deposit for all participants will be required by Friday 1st May. This enables us to proceed with firm plans and numbers. Payments will then be required.
Upcoming information sessions:
- Friday 20 March at 3:30pm in the Old Library
- Thursday 26 March at 7pm in the Old Library
Employment opportunities - click if you're interested in working at McGlashan.