Visiting Canadian teachers Amanda Gillespie and Jesse Todd have been amazed at the amount of Maori culture integrated into New Zealand teaching.
"There is a lot of Maori culture incorporated into the daily class. Like the teacher greeting the class in Maori, it's great to see," says Jesse, who has learned to say "kia ora".
The pair, from Prince Edward Island on Canada's eastern seaboard, are spending five weeks at Stratford Primary School as part of their teaching practicum, which is necessary to complete their degrees. Two other Canadian teacher trainees are based in Opunake.
All four have specialised in indigenous studies, and chose to do their practicum in New Zealand to see how Maori culture was included in school life.
Amanda has previously spent 3 years teaching in South Korea, and spent the last of her time in South Korea teaching at the New Zealand Cultural and Education Centre.