Graduate says govt-funded course solid preparation for work in low-decile school.
Having grown up in Christchurch and attended a largely Pakeha high school, Leonie Wethey finds she learns as much from the predominantly Pasifika students at Tamaki College as they learn from her.
Miss Wethey is one of 16 teachers participating in a flagship education programme that places university graduates with qualifications in high-priority subjects, such as maths, science and English, into lower-decile schools after just an eight-week training period. "It's the best thing I've done," she said.
"I can't even say how satisfying this whole thing has been. I came into it expecting to find it a really amazing experience but it has just been so rewarding. It really pushes you out of your comfort zone. It's great to come home and you've done something you're really proud to do.
"I think I've learned as much from the students as they have from me. It's definitely a different feeling than Christchurch. That was probably one of the biggest learnings coming into the school. I wasn't really familiar with all of the different cultures. My own high school [Middleton Grange High School] was largely New Zealand Pakeha."