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n o i t a n i t s e D education
Education has come a long way since the days of the three Rs - reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic. It's obvious in the emphasis placed on our curriculum and noticeable in the changes to our Ministry of Education requirements. But it is no more evident than in customdesigned international school trips.
"Children learn about the economy, how the schools operate, look at migration patterns, geographical features and all about the indigenous people," Robyn says.
Organising hundreds of students every year to international destinations from Fiji to Samoa is no easy feat, but Hamilton based travel company Edventuretours specialises in education-based tours, custom designed to align with your curriculum.
"They eat traditional foods, are taken fishing, around villages and schools, they're taught traditional dances, greetings and customs. The learning which takes place within these international tours is astounding.
Established 12 years ago by Chris and Robyn Hamilton, Edventuretours is able to customise your international school trip to meet the specific learning needs of your class. In February a six-strong group of New Zealand school respresentatives visited Fiji for a preliminary tour inspection of accommodation and activities. Edventuretours, coupled with the governing tourism body, Tourism Fiji, showed the group a vast range of proposed activities.
14 | Principals Today | Term 2 2010
The six-strong group consisted of principals, heads of departments and teachers representing schools in Auckland, Christchurch, Northland and Tauranga. Four of the six schools represented have since signed up for a series of Fiji-based school children's sporting, social and educational programmes in 2010. The Correspondence School teacher Steve Connor says the learning students acquire on such trips is immense. "The vision is to take a group of students to a foreign country and culture and thereby gain an understanding of the world around us, the
diversity of people and the broadening of minds and horizons. A secondary benefit of the trip is to experience the fun of travel and adventure." Tourism Fiji regional director New Zealand Sala Toganivalu says the programme proved an outstanding success. "This was a key group for us with all those participating responsible for making the final decisions as to which overseas destinations students from their respective schools will visit in the coming business year," she says.
Members of te Tourism Fiji / Edventuretours teachers’ group visiting Fiji. Back row (L-R): Kate Richardson (Heaton International School - Christchurch), Royston Scholes (Mt Maunganui Intermediate School - Tauranga), Ragigia Dawai (Tourism Fiji Auckland), Andrew Epskamp (Kamo Intermediate School - Northland), Robyn Hamilton (Edventuretours - Hamilton), Christopher Hamilton (Edventuretours - Hamilton), Karen Tamehana (Kawakawa Primary School - Northland). Front row (L-R): Cara Ashby (Heaton International School - Christchurch), and Marguerite Hegan (Wairau Intermediate School - Auckland).