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20 FACULTY OF EDUCATION THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND
“The children there learn to respect and value their education
and generally respect their teachers. When I walked down the
street past my local shops the shopkeepers stood up because I was
the principal of the school. For a Kiwi that is totally freaky. But I
realised that this expression of respect from the adults was picked
up by the children.”
She found that respect for her as a principal trickled down
to her teaching staff, and onto the pupils for their education
compared to some of her experiences in New Zealand.
“A book is something that is respected, you don’t throw the
book. You don’t drop the book from a height. You don’t sit on the
book. The book is something that you respect because it contains
knowledge. You respect and value the education that you’re being
given.”
“Here we take it for granted. It’s free. It’s not something that
you have to struggle for like a lot of these families do. They’re
struggling to send their children to good schools, which often
require fees, so that the whole family will benefit. They understand
that education is the key.”
Last year Elise returned home and was excited to return to New
Zealand classrooms, but found that, despite a system that is among
the best in the world, what was happening in the classroom did not
appear to engage all children, despite teachers running stimulating
programmes.
“There was a very low level of concentration in the children
compared to the children in India who would sit focusing on
relatively monotonous tasks for long periods. Things that we would
consider really boring, but they would happily apply themselves to it
because they valued it,” Elise says.
She was surprised to hear a parent complaining that his child
needed to memorise a poem, as it would be of no use in her life.
“Do we no longer value the development of memory as an
essential part of learning?”
Elise saw New Zealand teachers looking worn out, stretched
to the max. Highly innovative teachers who were dedicated to
providing the very best for their pupils, working long hours to
prepare for the diversity in their classrooms, engage the pupils in
meaningful learning and meet all the assessment requirements.
“It has been hard to witness the level of disrespect towards
teachers. Not only from many pupils, but from a number of parents
and, dare I say it, the government. How can our children learn to
value their education when all around they hear negative talk? How
can they respect their teachers when it is not being modelled on all
levels of our society?”
By the time she left India, the central government was radically
changing the traditional system of education, with its focus on
exams as the only means of assessment and working, to bring in a
more western style of education with internal assessment through
a variety of methods, which will require changes in the teaching
and learning styles. These are changes Elise welcomes in preparing
Indian youth to enter a more global context. But she sincerely hopes
that the level of respect and the valuing of learning she found in the
children there does not alter.
As India works towards integrating some of the best of modern
western pedagogies she considers what we can learn from India,
in fact many Asian cultures. In New Zealand, where children’s
futures also depend on good education, can we further develop a
climate where children value their learning and see it as relevant
to their lives? How can we model genuine respect which in turn
brings dignity into our learning environments? This naturally starts
with expressing a deep respect for our children, their needs and the
cultures that they are a part of. Because our kids are brilliant too.
Sometimes the grass isn’t
always greener on the other
side. As primary school
teacher Sophie Fava has come
to realise since moving to
London.
Sophie had been teaching
Year One students at an
all-girl’s private school in her
hometown of Auckland for six
years when she decided to
spread her wings and travel
abroad.
In January, Sophie moved to London and secured a floating
teaching position at Sheringham Primary School in the London
Borough of Newham.
A floating teacher covers classes when permanent teachers
have release, go on courses or are sick. Unlike supply or relief
teachers, Sophie only covers for the one school.
“The good thing about this job is I go to the same school
every day and I become a familiar face around the school, so
the children don’t treat me like they would a general supply
teacher,” Sophie says.
The other good thing, she says, is that it has made her
appreciate the education system in New Zealand.
“My class at home was a gorgeous class that was great
to teach. I had fantastic resources and supportive parents and
what I didn’t realise at the time was the freedom with how
we delivered the curriculum. I’ve got a new found respect for
teaching back home.”
Sophie graduated from the Faculty of Education with a
Bachelor of Education (Teaching) in 2008 and chose London
because her qualifications are recognised in the United
Kingdom. It is also a popular base for travel opportunities, she
says.
It is the first time Sophie has lived overseas and while she
finds it “terrifying and lonely” she also describes it as “amazing”.
“I came over alone and jumped straight into work while
living in a hostel which was hard going. London is so incredibly
busy and it’s true that it never sleeps. I’ve met some great
people in the hostel and I’ve hung out with them where possible
but, in general, I’ve found it hard settling in here. I am grateful
for this experience though and I’m looking forward to doing
some travel.”
Taking up the challenge in London