History
Onehunga High School was founded in 1959 by Mr McCarthy, on its Pleasant Street site. At its birth the roll was 190 students but it has grown slowly to a roll of 1,517.
Onehunga is situated in one of Auckland's suburbs' overlooking the Manukau Harbour. Many Onehunga High School families have long histories in the area and a large number of the students are second or even third generation students. The school's proximity to Onehunga and Penrose's industrial and retail area has allowed links with some service clubs and businesses including scholarships and trust funds.
In the early days the school was a mono-cultural in character, but during the 1980s it began to develop into a truly multi-cultural school, with increasing numbers of Māori, Polynesian and Asian students. Today the school is strongly international and enjoys all the qualities a wide range of cultures bring.
In the 1980s as part of a wider decentralisation changes in the New Zealand education system, school was allowed self governance under a Board of Trustee system. From 2000, the school began a modernisation and development programme.
The school has always received students from Onehunga, Royal Oak, Hillsborough and Mangere Bridge but in recent times enrolments beyond this zone have increased. Currently approximately 50% of Onehunga High School come from out of zone areas as the school's reputation has attracted many new students.
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