Manurewa's had a bad press of late, but a new scheme has found teachers willing to step in to forge links with students and the community, finds Rowena Orejana.
Ravnesh Chand knew what he was getting into when he applied for a teaching job at Manurewa High School.
He logged on to the internet, searched for Manurewa High School, read about the community's character and what it offered and something just clicked.
He had been a teacher for 10 years in Fiji and went on to teach for two years in Samoa. He says teaching in Manurewa is very interesting.
"It's challenging at times. They [students] come from different family backgrounds. When they are in a good mood they are very receptive. But when they are in a bad mood I have to try hard to keep their attention," he says.
Mr Chand is one of 36 new teachers in Manurewa. Schools in the town have a hard time attracting new teachers because of the negative image the place has gained in recent years.
Ie Nua is leading an Education Ministry effort to help Manurewa schools find and keep teachers. He says schools are often happy if they get two or three applicants for a position.
"It's not an area most would choose to teach in because of the way it is portrayed in the media. It's very difficult to get teachers to come here."
The other concern is keeping children in school.
"The most important factor is a good relationship between teacher and student. To achieve this, the teacher should have an understanding of the student. To have a better understanding of the student, you should understand their community," says Mr Nua.
The challenge, he explains, is to give the teachers a sense of connection and a deeper knowledge of the neighbourhood that surrounds the area.
The Manurewa Teachers' Transition Project, now in its initial phase, was conceived by a group of principals and social workers.
"The whole rationale of the project is simple and we mean to keep it simple. It's about developing a relationship between the teachers and the community where the children they teach come from," says Mr Nua.
Mr Chand found it useful to participate in the project. "We shared our ideas. I think things will be better if we have more of these interactions," he says.
The project was initially directed at new teachers from overseas, but it has been broadened to include any teachers who have come from outside the community.
Hopefully, says Mr Chand, a better understanding of the community will lead to greater commitment from the teachers.
Mr Nua adds it is also a way for the community to express their appreciation to the teachers. "They have a lot of choices but they chose to teach in Manurewa. We appreciate that. Next year, the new teachers will be getting a letter from Mayor Len Brown to welcome them to the community."
Despite the positive feedback to the study's early stages, Mr Nua acknowledges it has been a tough road. "It's a slow start but we are getting good commitments from the schools."
Lessons in respect
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