Paeariki Johnson (nee Mataroa)

Principal, Rongomai Primary School in Otara 

Cook Islands 

I was born in Ngatangiia in Rarotonga and came over to New Zealand with my 2 older siblings, I was only 1 at the time.  My Dad came over first and worked here for a year or 2, sent money back and brought my Mum and my sisters over.  We stayed with our uncles first and then moved into a flat but all they drilled into us was 'Education, education, education'.  We settled in Otahuhu first but I was schooled in Otara - East Tamaki Primary, Ferguson Intermediate & Hillary College.  Then I went off to Teachers College in Epsom and during my teaching career I did my degree through Auckland Uni and did my Post Grad in Educational Leadership.  

I had always aspired to be a teacher.  When I was in Year 6 (Standard 4), we had this amazing teacher at East Tamaki Primary and he used to give us breakfast, we'd go for runs and so on and that was something that wasn't done back then.  Everyone wanted to be in his class and I just loved the way he connected with us, the students, the teachers and I was like 'I want to be that one day' you know?   So I guess it started there.  The teachers name was Jonathan Hart and he actually wrote a book about Tongan culture and living with a Tongan family.  He was really close with the Alatini family - the Alatinis also went to East Tamaki Primary.  I'm not sure if he's still alive but for me he was the one that inspired me to become a teacher.  

In the Principals office 

I never aspired to become a principal though.  I just wanted to be a teacher, wanted to be in the classroom with the children but then others - teachers, senior teachers and DPs - they saw something in me and encouraged me to apply for senior roles so I just went with it.  As I remained in education throughout the years, I realised that there were changes and things that I could contribute to education to improve how we run schools and how we teach in the classroom.  Then I came to the realisation that the only way you can make real change is to be the leader.  I'm not naturally an extrovert, I'm actually really introverted (laughs) and it's really scary but I just knew that if I really wanted to see change in schools - especially in South Auckland schools - I need to be that change and in that position of change and Principalship is that place to make real change.  I'm one of very few Cook Island principals and female principals so I do understand the responsibility that being in this position brings especially for Cook Island people because there's not many of us.  

Paeariki on the netball court in the centre of Rongomai Primary school - they have the Cook Islands flag up this week because it's Cook Islands language week.

There was a time in the school where I was the only brown teacher here.  We had other people on staff who were Maori or Pacific Island but none on the teaching staff.  After 4 or 5 years of being on the teaching staff here one of my students asked me if I was a 'Real Teacher' with real teaching qualifications and I said 'Well actually I am and as a matter of fact I'm the Senior Leader' but he didn't make that connection!  That was another pivotal point for me I think in realising Gee!  I need to be in a position or in a role where our Maori & Pasifika kids can see that they can aspire to be in positions of influence, so those are my motives for getting to where I am today.  It's purely all about that.  I don't really like being in the front but I know there's a great responsibility.  It's really all about being an example and hopefully being the hope for them and coming from humble beginnings I can relate to our kids in this school.  I deliberately chose to come to a school like this you know, didn't have any passion or desire to go anywhere else and I'm deliberate about the decisions I make.  It's because I can connect and I understand these kids because I see myself in them and I think well if I can, hopefully they can see they can!

Paeariki & Rongomai children standing in front of one of the murals at their school.

Having been brought up in New Zealand myself but not being raised to speak my own language, I think growing up and even training as a teacher I felt a bit of a gap I guess or an emptiness within, so with my own children I've tried to raise them up in our own Cook Islands culture.  I see the strength in having a strong sense of who you are culturally.  We leave the comfort of Otara where we're the majority and then we hit tertiary education or university and we're not the majority so we need to learn to adapt.  I'm so tired of the statistics and the stereotypes and the labels that are placed upon our students and children.  I think thats why a lot of us in Otara come back to give back.

To celebrate Cook Islands language week Pae & the Rongomai staff set up the staff room with different Cook Islands handicrafts & things that are unique to the Cook Islands with the english names & the Cook Islands name.  The children are able to come through on their breaks and have a look at everything on display.

When you look at our staff now it reflects the students in this community.  We're 100% Maori & Pasifika and we've now got a teaching staff that reflects that too and we also have Canadian, Croation and European as well but there's a strong sense of Maori and Pasifika.  I think it definitely works in my advantage knowing the community and so you understand the people and how they think so there's a certain way of speaking to people and how we connect with our parents and relationships are key.  It's building those relationships and I guess for me I'm not afraid to go and talk to our parents or talk to our pre-schools because of the way we've been raised it's in our nature to be hospitable and to be friendly, to make connections when you meet people and make them feel welcome.   

  Kia Orana!  One of the first mosaic walls that greets you as you come down Rongomai Primary Schools driveway