There have been up to 25 to 35 parents attending each session held at Pāpāmoa College. Photo / Kaitlyn Morrell
There have been up to 25 to 35 parents attending each session held at Pāpāmoa College. Photo / Kaitlyn Morrell
On a cold winter night, about 30 people crouch over desks at Pāpāmoa College, pens at the ready.
They aren’t high school students, but mums and dads heading back to school to learn about their adopted homeland.
A community learning hub has been launched in the Bay ofPlenty for migrant parents, aimed at empowering families to understand the New Zealand education system.
The hub is the first of its kind in the Bay and is a Ministry of Education initiative that supports migrant parents through a series of six fortnightly workshops. It was brought to Tauranga by Multicultural Tauranga and three workshops have been held so far.
Communities represented at the workshops include Nepalese, Indian, South African, Latin American, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, French, Fijian and Czech.
Each workshop is intended to support connections between schools and families.
Te Puke‘s Neena Chauhan, who came to New Zealand from India 24 years ago and advocates for the Punjab community, said the sessions had been eye-opening.
She had children in school, including one navigating the special-needs education system.
“Languages are a big barrier, especially with migrant families, and you will be amazed in Te Puke, the second most spoken language is Punjabi.”
She said what Multicultural Tauranga brought to the table with these sessions had never been done before.
Each session had translators and interpreters.
“These sessions are opening the door for these families because language is no longer a barrier.”
As a parent, Neena Chauhan has attended all three sessions held so far at the community hub and says they were eye-opening. Photo / Kaitlyn Morrell
“We have group discussions where questions can be asked and replied to in our language.
“All ethnicities are coming together and sharing their experiences, which for me is a privilege.”
Multicultural Tauranga president Premila D’Mello said launching the community hub was “a transformative step toward building inclusive and equitable school communities”.
She told the Bay of Plenty Times the hub worked to grow parents’ knowledge and confidence to engage with schools and support their children’s learning and wellbeing.
“Such a hub not only strengthens home and school partnerships, but also ensures migrant families feel seen, heard and valued within the wider education landscape.”
She said language barriers and cultural differences were some of the biggest challenges for migrant parents.
“Language barriers make it difficult to communicate with teachers or fully understand school expectations, and cultural differences can create uncertainty around how and when to engage with schools.”
D’Mello said the early response had been very positive.
President of Multicultural Tauranga, Premila D'Mello. Photo / Kaitlyn Morrell
“Each session has drawn strong attendance from diverse migrant families, many of whom have expressed gratitude.
“We are already seeing a significant shift in parents’ confidence and engagement with the hub.”
Pāpāmoa College principal Iva Ropati said the school “enthusiastically” took on hosting the project because he saw the benefit for migrant parents.
“We are a proud multicultural school, and thought this additional support programme would be in keeping with our vision.”
With almost 100 students on visa conditions, therefore classified as a migrant student, Ropati said language barriers were significant within some migrant families at the college.
“We have to work hard to ensure all parents and students understand the complexities of the NZ qualification system.”
He said equity was the “essence of success”, and empowering the migrant community strengthened the school.
Pāpāmoa College principal Iva Ropati. Photo / Alex Cairns
“The more we can engage with our community, work alongside them, the better the outcomes for the students and our community as a whole.”
Leader of operations and integration at the Ministry of Education, Sean Teddy, said parents and families from ethnic communities indicated they wanted more involvement in education.
“This was to grow their understanding of the New Zealand education system to appreciate what their children are learning to support them at home and school.”
He said the hub created a space where parents learn and can ask questions, often in their language.
“They understand their rights and responsibilities and engage with schools in ways that feel culturally safe and empowering.”
Tauranga City Council facilitated the partnership between the Ministry of Education and Multicultural Tauranga to deliver the hub.
Strategic adviser for ethnic, migrant and Pacific communities, Haidee Kalirai, said the council was committed to fostering cultural inclusion and supporting the wellbeing of migrant communities.
“This includes supporting community-led initiatives that strengthen connections and inclusion across the city.”
July 17 – What to do if you have concerns about your child’s learning, how to contact teachers, and restorative practices.
July 31 – Learning Support and neurodiversity, school notices and student accounts, student-led conferences.
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.
