Te Reo Maori

This is Hoana Pearson, the Principal of Newton Central Primary School in Auckland.

The school offers both bilingual and immersion teaching in the Maori language - Te Reo Maori - and the work and ethos is very like that of our own Gaidhlig Medium primary schools.

Hoana's aim and passion is to "normalise Te Reo Maori in our everyday lives" and that is done in every subject and in every aspect of the school' s life .

When I arrived at the school I was given wonderful and very moving powhiri , the traditional Maori welcome, which was also filmed for Maori TV ( and by them for BBC Alba). I spoke during it and my Private Secretary Ellen MacKinnon sang in Gaelic. Later we toured the school , visiting at the end this little Garden of Remembrance.

The whole thing was an inspirational moment out of time, in a busy, sunny day. It was preceded by a great discussion with Auckland academics about achievement and followed by consideration of teacher exchanges and then a business reception hosted by Global Scot Iain Craig who is a senior accountant in Auckland but , I discovered at the event, is also a former pupil of Marr College in Troon.