Pride of NZ: A lesson she's ready to share

Anne Gaze
Lifetime Achievement

When Anne Gaze's son started struggling with high school exams she had to search for help not only outside his school, but outside the country.

She sent her son to Europe, where he received intensive tutoring over a three-day period. When he returned, he aced his subjects, she said.

Mrs Gaze realised her son's peers wished they too had access to this kind of tutoring. So she replicated the programme and flew 23 international examiners to Auckland.

Now, her revision, online tutorials and "Go Teach" programmes assist thousands of high school students through employing top university students as tutors.

Mrs Gaze is also responsible for co-ordinating the Feuerstein Cognitive Intervention programme which helps children in need of learning support, now used in 30 per cent of New Zealand schools. Further, she is developing New Zealand's own programme for high-spectrum learning disabled children in conjunction with the Centre for Brain Research.

For her dedication to education, Mrs Gaze has been nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award in the lifetime achievement category.

"Anne is inspirational and volunteers 100 hours per week championing these changes and securing much-needed funds to cope with the huge demand," said her nominator.

Mrs Gaze is hoping to create a shift in educational approaches within the country. But securing funds is a strain.

"For me, there is no time to debate or spectate - exam dates don't change, children continue to fail, learning-supported children don't move into mainstream classrooms by osmosis - someone needs to step up." Her Go Teach programme recruits top university students to teach high-schoolers. She removes them from "menial part-time employment" and places them "where needed most - supporting schools, teachers, principals and students".

"University students get the stumbling blocks," she said. "They are also very, very connected to their peers - there is a magnetism with their students that is palpable."

The Pride of New Zealand Awards are proudly brought to you by The New Zealand Herald, The Hits and TSB Bank.
Nominations for the 2015 awards have now closed.
To see more stories of our wonderful nominees click here.
For more information on the awards go to the official website.