Longburn School students and Children's University graduates Charlette McGuigan-Smith, 13, Peyton Coley, 13, Dayna Pakau-Wana, 13, and Ciana Peters, 12.
Photo / David Wiltshire
Longburn School students and Children's University graduates Charlette McGuigan-Smith, 13, Peyton Coley, 13, Dayna Pakau-Wana, 13, and Ciana Peters, 12.
Photo / David Wiltshire
The university graduates can’t drive or vote, and they haven’t even started high school.
But what the students who graduated from Children’s University Massey Wānanga Nohinohi Te Kunenga last week can do is learn.
Children’s University offers tamariki and rangatahi aged five to 14 a range of out-of-school learning opportunitiesto help them connect to their love of learning.
Massey started the programme in Manawatū last year when it ran a pilot programme with Longburn School and Te Kura o Wairau.
This year, it added more schools in Manawatū and Wellington and next year hopes to expand into Auckland, programme co-ordinator Ruth Jackson says.
Dayna Pakau-Wana signed up for Children’s University as her teacher, Jason Wu, told her how much fun it would be. He was right, she says.
The Longburn School student learned aboutfitness, the difference between rubbish and recycling, Māori culture, and did tests for maths and science on an app.
When Dayna, 13, visited Massey she made new friends from the other schools.
Longburn School principal Jo Emerson said most of the children had never set foot on a university campus before. They said it was like a city.
Riverdale School principal Debra Peck thanked Massey for allowing children access to the gift of learning in another context.
The programme runs for the school year so ideally students sign up in term 1 and have the whole year to earn their hours.
Students need to earn at least 30 hours to graduate and bronze, silver and gold certificates can be achieved.
Jackson says when the students visited Massey they took part in a music session teaching Spanish, visited the new Vet Teaching Complex Tāwharau Ora, and ran an Amazing Race that included speaking on the radio at the Radio Control studios.
Students also had the chance to try out innovative sports at the rec centre.
Longburn School registered 19 students with a 100 per cent graduation record.
Riverdale School registered 18 students with 17 graduating.
Thirty of Takaro School’s 40 registered students graduated and nine of Te Kura o Wairau’s 14 registered students graduated.
Children's University graduate Madina Qudratullah, 13, with her father Qudratullah Rajab Ali. Photo / Judith Lacy
Among the Takaro graduates was Madina Qudratullah. The 13-year-old completed 65 hours and received a silver award. Next year she will attend Palmerston North Girls’ High School.
Madina arrived in Palmerston North in late 2017 as a former Afghan refugee, with her parents, grandmother and brother.
Dr Tere McGonagle-Daly told the graduates and their whanaū a story about a boy who grew up at Maketu in the Bay of Plenty.
The boy was from a large family and often overlooked, but his nan noticed everything he did.
She encouraged and inspired him. That boy went to university and worked overseas.
That boy is now a man - McGonagle-Daly, who is deputy vice-chancellor students and global engagement.
McGonagle-Daly told the students to always hold on to those things that inspire them. That inspiration will take you a long way.
Sitting inside the packed Marsden Lecture Theatre could be the next All Black or Black Fern, next space traveller or prime minister, scientist, farmer, or inventor of the game that will replace Minecraft.
McGonagle-Daly ended his talk with a self-described dad joke - which is faster hot or cold? The question quickly engaged the children, before McGonagle-Daly told them the answer was hot because you can always catch a cold.
Te Kura o Wairau graduates with principal Teena Johnson and deputy principal Ruth Alefaio. Photo / David Wiltshire
