The right lessons on the wrong side of the tracks

By THERESA GARNER

Otahuhu College, a school with historic buildings and established grounds, has a modern label - value-added.

From its very beginning, in the heart of the Depression, the school proudly took in the children of the struggling working class. And its pupils are still disadvantaged - from families on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder.

Yet, significantly, more students leave Otahuhu College with recognised qualifications than other decile-one schools - 82 per cent, compared with the 68 per cent norm. Decile one is the lowest of 10 socioeconomic rankings for schools.

A letter to teachers from last year's seventh-formers indicates that they leave with much more besides: "We thank you deeply for the guidance and lessons in life you have give us. You have helped shape who we are as people, and we are forever grateful."

Researchers studying the complex processes that enabled these students to succeed academically have found the answers in the theme of that thank-you note.

Dr Mollie Neville, a senior education lecturer at Massey University, says that at the heart of a value-added school are the values of integrity, compassion, passion for equity, commitment and hard work.

She has identified stability and order, environment, student governance, preserving and honouring the past, and acceptance of all cultures as key issues.

And at Otahuhu College, there are three x-factors - the wairua (spiritual side) of the school, retaining the traditional aim of training young people to be good citizens, and working together as a community.

The principal of 14 years, Bill Gavin, is a quietly spoken man, not above picking up rubbish on the school grounds, who speaks of his students lovingly.

"Our job here is to get rid of the barriers to learning. Let's face it, we have a number of students here who have the odds stacked against them."

The goal of building self-esteem is woven throughout all aspects of the school day, beginning with a full assembly - a tradition discarded by some schools - where achievements are acknowledged, and there is often a performance by one of the many cultural groups.

Just 8 per cent of the students are Pakeha, and Mr Gavin says mainstream Pakeha culture cannot be regarded as the norm. Students instead learn that they can succeed as themselves, and are inspired by racially mixed teacher role-models.

Pupil Steven Rapana - part-Maori, part-Samoan - says the symbol of the kotuku, or white heron, is important to him. Students greet one another with the motto "Kia Tamatane," meaning "Be like Tamatane," the likable rogue in Maori mythology who changed his ways and was turned into a heron as a reward.

Steven says he felt as an urban Maori that he had lost a sense of where he came from, and he values the school's strong sense of history and tradition, and the feeling of belonging.

Nafeeza Jahan says that, for her, the most powerful tradition is the annual Haka Waita competition, which takes place in the second week of the year, involves every student and is the pride of students from every ethnic background, fostering cooperation and understanding.

"When you see a Samoan boy leading the haka, it is an amazing experience. It almost doesn't matter that we are all from different backgrounds."

The Education Review Office has praised the school for its strong pastoral care, which promotes values of honesty, reliability, and respect for others.

The school's interpersonal relationships are warm and courteous, and a lot of energy is spent communicating with parents, who often have little English. The school has tried to overcome this by forming parent support groups in families' own languages.

Students take responsibility for themselves as members of a house system and school council, and also act as "peer mediators" to solve the problems of their fellows, which stops misunderstandings and playground aggression.

The school has been praised for its treatment of special needs, disabled and at-risk students, and has put time and money into health provision, diagnostic tests, and a centre for troubled children.

Modesty typifies Mr Gavin's response to how well his school is doing.

"Because we've done a lot over the years, we're somewhat pleased, but we haven't got it sorted out completely."

He says that, because of their background, some students have "misguided" values.

"There is no room for complacency."