Mid Canterbury principals Brent Gray and Phil Wheeler have a better understanding of their pupils following a visit to Samoa.
Gray, of Ashburton Intermediate School, and Wheeler, of Netherby School, were among 17 primary and secondary principals from New Zealand on the visit aimed at getting insight into Samoan life.
Gray, whose school roll of 476 has 30 Pasifika pupils, had been looking at ways to engage Pasifika parents.
He said the trip gave him a better understanding.
‘‘It was great to be able to see what they’re leaving to come here, and how they run their village and school life. So we can look at what key things we need to be thinking about when they arrive,’’ Gray said.
‘‘They have got really high expectations of them over there, and we need to make sure we do that here too, rather than just think they need extra support.
‘‘A lot of their foundation skills they have got already, especially in basic maths.
‘‘They obviously need some support with learning the English language, but because most of them are already fluent reading and writing their own language, it makes it easier.’’
On the islands of Upolu and Savai’i, the pair had the chance to visit Samoa Primary, Matatufu Primary and Tutagaovaaloa Primary schools, the village of Sapapalii and the Christian Congregational Church for a Fathers’ Day service. It was also attended by the Manu Samoa Rugby team.
‘‘School visits were a big part of what we were doing,’’ Gray said.
It was organised for members of Tautai O Le Moana, part of the New Zealand Pasifika Principals Group.
‘‘It means Wayfinders of the Ocean, so it’s about leaders navigating their way through educating Pacific children,’’ he said.
The week-long trip was tailored; principals were able to visit primary or secondary schools to suit their field.
They got to connect with teaching peers and their pupils.
He said some classes in Samoa had high class numbers of about 36 to 40 pupils, but had a rote learning-based curriculum where religion, music and dance was of importance.
It had been good to build relationships with others who had Pasifika students in their schools, and find out what they were doing to cater to their students.
Wheeler was equally impressed. He said seeing school life in Samoa had been a highlight. There was less information and communication technology used in the class environment.
‘‘It felt like I was going back in time to when I was at primary school 45 years ago,’’ Wheeler said.
‘‘Some of the teachers I saw in action were quite exceptional, and knew exactly what they were teaching, using songs and dance, building knowledge,’’ he said.
‘‘The learning was generally led from the front by teachers, an older style of pedagogy that you would not see that often in a contemporary classroom of today,’’ Wheeler said.
‘‘(They were) really well behaved children, who also appeared very healthy and engaged in their learning.’’
Netherby School has a roll of 181. One third are Pasifika pupils, including 26 from Samoa.
Wheeler said the visit, his first to Samoa, was ‘‘a great experience’’. He particularly enjoyed networking with other principals who had a large percentage of Pasifika students.
‘‘We got to see schools and experience ava ceremony, see culture and tradition alive in an authentic context,’’ Wheeler said.
‘‘We also travelled with two Samoan principals who run schools in New Zealand. To see them move between the life and culture of Samoa while also understanding New Zealand culture and way of life was enriching.’’
It brought home how important it was to ensure first languages were kept by speaking the first language at home to help with overall learning, he said.
‘‘A child with a strong foundational language is much better placed to learn in the school system than one without.’’
