That may soon change, thanks to an $1100 science grant.
Classroom teacher Fiona Mackley sought the grant from the Bayer Primary School Science Fund to give pupils a ''hands on'' learning experience about the beekeeping industry.
Mrs Mackley's years 3 and 4 pupils have a beehive inside their classroom, learning about the importance of bees, how people can help them, and what is inside a hive.
The idea came about after Enviroschool introduced the School Bee Corridors programme to schools in the region, she said.
The programme creates tracks of flowering plants and trees throughout the country to counter honey bee threats
such as pesticides and the varroa mite.
Senior pupils from the school's Enviroschool group were researching how to install a beehive.
They were looking at council policies, types of beehives, suitable sites and medical and allergy statistics, to consider children's safety.
''The kids are researching themselves. It's all about decision-making,'' Mrs Mackley said.
A site outside Alexandra had been identified if a beehive near school grounds was not possible, and it was hoped one could be set up by the end of the year. EnviroSchool is a national initiative in which schools commit to developing sustainable practices.
''The main idea is to give our younger generation the means to become sustainable in their future way of living,'' she said.
The science fund was sponsored by Bayer New Zealand and managed by the Royal Society of New Zealand.
