New Plymouth Girls’ High School

2007 National Winner
2007 Regional Winner – Waikato

NPGHS students won Reserve Bank Monetary Challenge in Wellington.
From left Sarah Gifford, Chloe Muggeridge, Karen Morine (teacher), Jessica Bush, Zara Brouwers and Eloise Millynn.
Photo supplied by Taranaki Daily News.

New Plymouth Girls’ High School (NPGHS) cheered with delight when they were announced as the national winners of the 2007 Monetary Policy Challenge.

“There was a fair bit of cliché yelling and hugging,” says team member Jessica Bush. “The whole event was overwhelming and to win the national title was totally unexpected and a real privilege.”

The team were the first to ever enter from their school and did not know much about the competition when their teacher, Karen Morine, first showed them the entry form.

“She handed us the entry form in a ‘what do you think girls?’ kind of way,” says Jessica. “It sounds pretty boring at first but the girls and I got pretty enthusiastic once it all took off. We all learnt a lot and would recommend it to next year’s economics students.”

Chloe Muggeridge, 2007 Head Girl of NPGHS, was also part of the team. Despite her hectic schedule of study, school events and extra curricular activities she says that the Monetary Policy Challenge was "definitely a major highlight of my year."

Their teacher, Karen Morine, agrees. “The competition was a fantastic learning experience for all of us. We got to meet lots of new people, visit some exciting places and come to grips with monetary policy! It was also excellent preparation for the Level 3 and scholarship Economics exams.”

Take a look at other schools that placed in the 2007 competition.