Students at Te Puke High School have been taking part in the newly launched Global Competence Certificate. Photo / Supplied
Students at Te Puke High School have been taking part in the newly launched Global Competence Certificate. Photo / Supplied
Only 12 international students remain at Te Puke High School compared with about 65 pre-Covid, but that has not stopped its students from fostering global connections.
A group of teenagers have been just spent five weeks corresponding with their peers in Vietnam over cyberspace.
The virtual experience is part of a Global Competence Certificate funded by Education New Zealand and designed to provide students with skills to prepare them to thrive in a more diverse and interconnected world.
Some of its core concepts included developing cultural self-awareness, empathy for other cultures, emotional resilience and ways to build bridges in multicultural settings.
Te Puke High School international student director Cathi Fourie says international students brought vibrancy to the school campus.
''Many of our students do not have the opportunity to travel abroad and international students offer a way of bringing the world into our classrooms. Our school vision is to inspire our students to realise their potential through being future-focused lifelong learners with a strong sense of identity.''
''Offering our students a platform to interact virtually with other students has been invaluable.''
Students from around New Zealand and the world are doing the Global Competence Certificate. Photo / Getty Images
In August, Education New Zealand chief executive Grant Mcpherson said it was its intention to provide an alternative to the international school exchange experience while borders were closed.
New Zealand high school students are developing global competence skills alongside students worldwide, enabling them to study and work across borders and cultures and boost their job prospects with the NZGC certificate, he says.
Following a successful pilot scheme, ENZ was funding a further $380,000 to subsidise the cost for 321 New Zealand and 486 international learners.
It was hoped they would develop cultural self-awareness, empathy for other cultures, emotional resilience and ways to build bridges in multicultural settings.
The 18 online modules cover topics such as stereotypes, empathy, dealing with conflict and resilience.
''The programme's expansion is a key part of diversifying. As well as helping to develop the global citizens of tomorrow, this programme demonstrates the reciprocal benefits of international education. It gives our rangatahi a chance to learn with high school students from around the world, and giving their offshore peers a chance to learn 'with' New Zealand and our unique way of thinking."
Students on why they joined programme
Juliet King: ''I want to expand my knowledge about other countries, cultures and religions. This experience has helped me come to terms with the fact that people from other places are so different from us [different values, beliefs, and traditions], yet we now know, or are more experienced in understanding one another despite these visible and invisible differences.''
Ella Daniel: ''I am very interested in cultural activities and opportunities. I have so many new perspectives on other peoples' culture and preferences in dealing with conflict and communication. I think that now that I have a grasp on different cultural values and how they can mix and vary and I have a better understanding of behaviours around me.''
EJ Sigue: ''It was a great opportunity. I have learnt so many things, but to list a few would be suspending our judgment, how to avoid offending others by being patient, understanding, empathetic, and informed. It has had such a positive effect on me.''
Whakaio Seymour: ''I wanted to learn more about other cultures and how to act whenever our cultures intersect or conflict with one another. I have taken away many skills I can use in the future to avoid misunderstandings and misconceptions between each of our cultures.''
Bella Ngawhika: ''I wanted to grow international connections and learn about different cultures and the challenges people from other countries face. I have learnt how to get along with others with different beliefs and culture differences from me, also to be open minded going into different situations.''
Jaymie Buckton: ''To make new connections and see how people from other countries live differently to us. I want to meet students from overseas despite New Zealand borders being close. I am interested to see the different foods they eat and different sports they enjoy.''
About Education NZ
• Is the government agency responsible for building international education to benefit New Zealand socially, culturally and economically. For more information, go to www.enz.govt.nz • In 2020, Education New Zealand partnered with Massey University and American Field Scholars to deliver a customised version of the GCC programme to New Zealand students and international students in New Zealand and abroad. • The Global Competence Certificate (GCC) is a research-backed programme teaching cultural self-awareness, empathy for other cultures and ways to build bridges in multicultural settings. It is designed by American Field Scholars, a global non-profit organisation internationally recognised as a leader in global citizenship.
