School a way of life

A Hamilton high school is setting a precedent with a vastly different approach to learning.

At Tai Wananga there are no bells, no rigid class times. And yet every student is highly engaged in every aspect of school life - the cultural, sporting and academic spheres.

Tai Wananga is a "designated character school", says senior operations leader, Pakewa Watene. The brainchild of Te Wananga o Aotearoa founder Rongo Wetere, Tai Wananga opened for business early last year. A lease agreement between AgResearch and the Ministry of Education enabled a major renovation and upgrade of a block of labs and conference facilities at the Ruakura campus.

When the Ministry of Education first gave Tai Wananga its seal of approval, then-Minister Anne Tolley said it would provide students and parents with a choice for secondary schooling outside what was currently available.

It is indeed unique. And what's more, students are achieving in all areas. "Students discover who they are here," says Watene. "We incubate a culture that lends itself to excellence.

"Students quickly learn that life doesn't meet them halfway." So if someone forgets their running shoes, they'll do their morning run in bare feet. Chances are it'll be the last time they forget their shoes.

The whole school begins each day with 'conditioning' where students and teachers pound the pavements around the AgResearch campus at Ruakura - rain, hail or shine. They do reps in the weight room, try to get one up on classmates in various sets of exercises. Each student has their physical education scores and results posted on a huge whiteboard, which creates a healthy competitiveness among students, says Watene.

After conditioning, staff and students sit down to a healthy breakfast (and, later, lunch). Then students clear away dishes, wipe down tables and get stuck into chores. Two students don vacuum cleaners on their backs, others are tasked with cleaning the bathrooms. Then the whole school gathers for karakia (prayer). Students also take turns to talk about their heritage and whanau. And they recite quotes and mantras for inspiration.

The physical education, healthy kai (and water - no soft drinks are consumed on site) and spiritual and cultural time in the morning is part of an ideal that if students are physically healthy, it'll set them up for optimum learning.

Every student has a timetable of subjects to cover off each week. As with every aspect of life at Tai Wananga, students are accountable for getting through their academic work. If they have an exam coming up, they might veer from their timetable to study for the test. They're expected to think for themselves, be responsible young adults.

And while the curriculum covers the standard maths, science, English, and te reo, there's time at the end of the day for students to be involved in something they're truly passionate about, whether that's playing the guitar, art, whatever. It's a nice way to end the day, but it also links in with the school's philosophy: that learning comes alive when it's purposeful, feeds passions and validates culture and identity.

"We've created another way of delivering the curriculum here," says Watene of the inquiry-based learning that students have embraced. They manage their workload, they ask a lot of questions, research, and ask some more. Students are empowered to take responsibility for their success.

As with their physical achievements, every student's academic marks are posted on giant whiteboards for all to see. An open-door policy means parents can drop in anytime and look at their son or daughter's marks. And they're also involved in setting their child's individual tailored learning plan. These two are pinned up at each student's workstation.

There are smaller rooms that groups of students can use for studying and lessons. And everyone has their own workstation in an enormous open-plan room. But far from being noise-filled chaos, you can hear a pin drop as students get down to work.

The current roll of 80 will grow to 120 next year. Students from Maori and non-Maori descent are welcome, but it's unlikely the roll will increase any further. The small roll means students have plenty of one-on-one contact with teaching staff. The teaching staff will increase next year in line with the larger roll. Just as there's no shortage of students wanting to enrol at Tai Wananga, nor is there a shortage of teachers wanting to work there. Though teachers don't really consider it work, more a way of life - and they see themselves as facilitators of learning.

"If we want to be revolutionary educators ... we have to be guided by feelings of aroha, for the people and for education. There's a formula there," says Watene.

That formula looks set to be replicated at other locations around the country. Tai Wananga's tumuakai (principal) Toby Westrupp is in talks with nine iwi groups around New Zealand that are interested in setting up their own branch of the school.

In Palmerston North, Tai Wananga's sister school, Tu Toa, has a sports focus. Discovery, technology and innovation are what Tai Wananga focuses on - fitting given the school's location.

"We're surrounded by inspiration at Ruakura. The Chiefs are based next door; they train on the grounds outside. And we have world-class scientists right there at Ag Research."

And graduates of Tai Wananga are likely to inspire other students coming up through the ranks. A student last year went on to study neuropsychology at Waikato University. Two students about to graduate are on track to study dentistry and medicine next year.