CathNews New Zealand

Maori students at St John’s College in Hastings are consistently rising to the challenge of leadership. Although they make up only 20 per cent of the school roll, in the last ten years half of the head boys at St John’s have been Maori.

St John’s Principal, Neal Swindells, says one of the several factors that have allowed Maori students at St John’s to flourish has been the Marist Youth Leader Programme which is run each year for senior students from a network of eight Marist schools in New Zealand.

“About 100 students meet for one week with 20 mentors for a principle-centred leadership. Effectively they learn to be a leader and practise leadership styles,” he said.

The course is usually held at St Bede’s in Christchurch but, because of the earthquakes, it was held at Hato Paora in Feilding this year.

Source

• Hawkes Bay Today
• Image: Caritas

Additional reading

• School Before Self, Joseph Penitito, St John’s College, Hastings

News category: New Zealand.