Prime Minister Elect Jacinda Ardern pictured with her Morrinsville College Year 12 history class teacher Gregor Fountain. Photo/Supplied
Prime Minister Elect Jacinda Ardern pictured with her Morrinsville College Year 12 history class teacher Gregor Fountain. Photo/Supplied
It's not every day a teacher gets to attend his former pupil's swearing in as Prime Minister, and there was nothing stopping Gregor Fountain from clearing his schedule.
Fountain, PM-Elect Jacinda Ardern's former Morrinsville College teacher, was sent a message asking if he was around on Thursday.
"I was quite emotional when she asked me. She sent me a message on Saturday ... I was in my office at school and then she sent me a message saying 'what are you doing on Thursday', and could I make myself available and I said 'I think I can clear my diary for this', he joked. "It's not every day you get to see a student you taught become the Prime Minister."
Jacinda Ardern during the 90s as she attended Morrinsville College.
Ardern is allowed to invite five people to the formal function, with her father Ross, and partner Clarke Gayford also joining them.
The ceremony will take place tomorrow at Government House in Wellington.
"So my father will be joining me, my partner and my old high school teacher," she told Breakfast today.
When asked by the Herald if he could remember teaching Ardern, Fountain said it seemed like just yesterday.
Jacinda Ardern's former teacher Gregor Fountain still has an affinity with students. He's now principal at Paraparaumu College. Photo/Supplied
"As a teacher you remember your first classes so clearly and so yeah, I have really vivid memories of teaching Jacinda and some other really awesome students at Morrinsville College."
As for whether she used to get in any trouble, Fountain said "she wasn't that sort of student".
Fountain, who has bought a new tie for tomorrow's event, taught Ardern history and social studies and said she was passionate about learning.
"I have really strong memories about her amazing ability, I guess to extrapolate principles from what we were discussing. So for example, in 1995 it was the Tainui settlement and I remember her really strong curiosity to get her mind around colonisation, around that Treaty settlement process and what that meant for us as a country.
Year 13 Morrinsville College were bang on the money with their prediction about Ardern.
"I remember her sometimes staying behind in class to talk about those issues because she really did want to grapple with them."
Ardern once did an assignment on former MP and feminist Marilyn Waring. She was struggling to find out some information so just decided to ring her.
"I remember thinking at the time 'oh you just get on with it', and I think that's a feature of Jacinda's approaches and her leadership, that she's not interested in hierarchy and she relates to everyone the same."
He said there would no doubt be some tough times at some stage but "she has got a vision and an amazing set of skills to get us there".
"My hope is that we're going to see a less adversarial style, that we're going to see a more collaborative, less tribal, style and I think that's what we're going to need if we're going to continue the process of engaging younger people in the democratic process."
