Angela Sharples has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo / Supplied
Angela Sharples has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo / Supplied
Years of work towards building equity in education have led to Dr Angela Sharples being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Sharples was acknowledged for her contribution to education by addressing issues of disparity and equitable access to quality education.
"It's very special to be recognisedby others for something that you've been passionate about and quietly worked away on for a long time," she told the Rotorua Daily Post.
She wanted to stress that achievements such as this were about being with like-minded, passionate people.
"It's because those relationships are important that I've been recognised."
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Sharples has been Murupara Area School principal for more than six years, previously working at Rotorua Girls' High School, Rotorua Boys' High, and Rotorua Lakes High School.
Sharples chose to apply for principal at Murupara Area School due to the many poor educational outcomes, which she was passionate about addressing.
"I really strongly believe that all students in any school, whether they're remote or in a big city, should have access to quality education.
"Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen nowadays, so I think it's really important for our best teachers to be working in schools that are maybe less advantaged."
Sharples had worked with the Pūhoro science programme to "open Murapara Area School students' eyes to what they could do, individualising their learning programme so that they understand where the strengths are and hopefully where their passions lie".
She has engaged students with the Youth Employability programme and also helped establish Te Aka Toitū Trust to connect Murupara households to the school's Network for Learning, meaning whānau had help to access affordable internet.
She also helped ensure all students from Year 5 and up had access to devices over lockdown.
Sharples felt "in New Zealand, we don't look after our really high-achieving students particularly well".
"If we don't actually promote science to our students and help them see that as a valuable pathway, then we're doing New Zealand a real injustice."
Sharples had volunteered as chairwoman of the New Zealand Biology Olympiad programme since 2006, an organisation that trained the top science students in New Zealand at university level before they competed at the International Biology Olympiad.
She'd like to see the Government support organisations to grow scientific innovation and quality education in New Zealand because science "underpins New Zealand's whole economy".
Sharples' passion for science started with snorkelling on Tuhua island as a child, leading her to study a degree in zoology and geology at Auckland University.
She started as a biology tutor and mentor for the university, finding her love for teaching before finishing a PhD in Biology.
As a mentor for Auckland University, she saw the difference it could make when children were exposed to what they could do in science, "if they have never been exposed to that, they don't know to dream for that".
After having three children, she returned to study for a postgraduate certificate in teaching and moved to Rotorua.
Sharples has also volunteered as secretary of Rotorua Show Jumping since 2012 and Bay of Plenty Show Hunter since 2013. Her efforts won her Show Hunter Volunteer of the Year of 2016.
Her children's involvement in horse riding encouraged her to contribute.
"I have always strongly believed that every person should volunteer for at least one or two things and change this to what is happening in your life."
While Sharples described her work as a journey that was not yet finished, she had opened career pathways for Murupara students and helped science students succeed.
Murupara Area School principal Angela Sharples. Photo / Supplied
