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How long have you been an educator, and where did you train?
I have been an educator for 35 years, spanning experience in South Africa, Qatar and New Zealand. I have worked in education in South Auckland for 26 years, including a short stint as an education adviser at the Ministry of Education.
I completed my teacher training at Bechet Teachers’ Training College in Durban, South Africa and then completed a degree through Massey University after arriving in Auckland.
When did you become principal of St Mary’s Papakura?
I began my time at St Mary’s as deputy principal, in 2018, then as acting principal from January 2020 and was permanently appointed in November 2020.
What’s the best thing about being an educator and principal?
For me, as a teacher, the best thing has always been to see the “light bulbs” go off when children grasp a concept. It is the best feeling in the world to see them grow in confidence and self-efficacy. As a Catholic school educator and leader, it is also when I get to see children grasp the love of Christ and embrace their faith and their identity as children of God. As a principal, I love visiting classes regularly to see children and staff engaging happily with each other and with their learning. I want to see staff happily using their creativity and skill to engage children in learning that is fun, creative, and innovative. Connecting with families and getting to know them well is a priority and a privilege that I don’t take for granted.
What’s special about St Mary’s Papakura?
The wonderful bonds of community at St Mary’s are a very special experience. There is a wairua of respect and aroha, and the presence of God is palpable in our place, which nurtures a sense of safety and belonging for students, staff and whanau. It is a place where faith and love form the foundation and inspire all we do. It is a place for children to flourish.
Is there anything you’d like improved in the education/school management sector?
The most important thing that I would love to see changed is for the government agenda to loosen their grasp on the curriculum and focus more on resourcing and funding. New Zealand needs time to embed a stable curriculum that integrates local history, truth and tikanga, while staying abreast of world knowledge and technological developments. We have committed and well-qualified teachers who need to be respected for their knowledge about how children learn best and should be given trust and freedom to be creative in delivery. A school’s focus, naturally, has to be academic success and ongoing professional development for staff, but not at the cost of engagement in learning (for both children and teachers). Learning should be fun, authentic, creative, contextual and innovative.
Children should not only be expected to absorb new knowledge, but should have more opportunities to learn outdoors, to be active with hands-on experiences to support their learning and to use their new knowledge to solve problems through critical thinking and skilled action. Digital devices should be used sparingly and only to appropriately facilitate learning and solutions. I would love to see bookwork and handwriting taking a higher priority than it has had in recent years. Like most teachers and educational leaders, I would also like to see more resourcing, funding and professional development provided to support, nurture and engage children with neurodiverse needs. Schools cannot be expected to be seen as authentically inclusive without this support.
How is the relationship between St Mary’s Papakura and its immediate local community?
We enjoy a well-connected, communicative, and close relationship with our families and community partners. Our wonderful parents are active in our school, and we rely on their feedback and support to be able to succeed. We have many volunteers who support a range of programmes in our school, and this makes our school a happy, collaborative, and active place where we share a collective responsibility for the success of our tamariki.
