New Zealand's First Students at United World College

Te Ao Hou, June 1975, Page 23

New Zealand's First Students at United World College Mamae Wikiriwhi, a 16-year-old sixth form student at Auckland Girls' Grammar School, left on 27 August for the United World College of the Atlantic, at St Donat's Castle, South Wales, where she will study for two years. The New Zealand Government is sponsoring two students, the other being Paul Mitchell of Geraldine. At the college will be about 300 students from 40 countries aged from 16 to 18, taking a pre-university course. They will graduate with an International Baccalaureate, acceptable as entrance to University in most countries Each student takes three subjects to a high level and three to a subsidiary level. Mamae will concentrate on English, mathematics and music, and choose between French, environmental studies, political studies and economics for her other three subjects after she arrives at the college. Mamae is the younger daughter of Monty and Jean Wikiriwhi. Her father, Senior Welfare Officer with the Maori and Island Affairs Department at Auckland, comes from Te Arawa, and her mother, well known as a cultural tutor, is the sister of George Moke of Kawhia. Mamae attended Onepoto Primary School and Northcote Intermediate School, where she was an above-average pupil, and at Auckland Girls' Grammar School she has been in the top academic class for four years. Last year she passed School Certificate in six subjects, English, French, mathematics, music, history and science, gaining particularly high marks in maths, music and English, and being the school's top music student. Music has always been one of Mamae's main interests. Like her older sister she has studied the piano for several years, and the day before she left for England, sat her Grade 8 examination. Although she has not sat violin Mamae Wikiriwhi, just before she left for Wales. An aerial view of St Donat's Castle. examinations she has learnt for five years, and is leader of the school orchestra. When a 4th form student, she won the Auckland school chamber music piano competition, last year was second in piano and third in violin, and this year won again. Last year she won her school's ‘Susan Smith Music Cup’ for all-round participation in music. Unfortunately the school's Polynesian Club meets at the same time as the orchestra practises, so Mamae has not been able to participate regularly, but she knows many Maori songs and with knowledge gained from a recent course in the use of flax for traditional clothing and baskets, she will be able to demonstrate many aspects of Maori culture to her fellow-students. Although excellence at sport is not a

dominant factor in the selection of students for the United College, participation in sport is regarded as another evidence of all-round ability. Mamae's interests are in indoor basketball, netball, cricket and tennis. She has represented North Shore in junior tennis. Together with academic and personal qualities, the students are expected to have taken part in some community work. Mamae's involvement has been as a judges' assistant at competitions society festivals, and working in a geriatric hospital during her school holidays. Each applicant was required to write an essay on their aspirations and to state their personal qualifications. Also the headmaster or headmistress of their school was required to comment on the pupils. From about 30 regional finalists Mamae was chosen as one of eight who travelled to Wellington for final interviews. The United World College of the Atlantic was opened in 1962 as the first of a number of international colleges to be established throughout the world, designed to offer to selected students of different nationalities and high ability a two year academic course immediately before entry to university. The project has two main aims: ‘to promote international understanding through education; and to provide a pattern of education adapted to meet the special needs of our age.’ From the outset, one of the college's aims was a genuinely international matriculation examination, and students are now able to Students practise with their rescue craft, part of the Beach Rescue Unit.

enter over 150 universities throughout the world. ‘But,’ they say, ‘it is not enough only to remove academic barriers. Young people today must be made aware of the modes of thought and characteristics of other nations and races. They must come to feel sympathy with them, without becoming alienated from their own culture and society.’ The whole college programme is geared to the development of human understanding among students. All activities are under the guided control of a Student Council; students are encouraged to make friends outside the college; dress is very informal during the day, slightly more formal in the evening; there are regular Saturday evening dances and Sunday evening concerts; programmes of films, music and lectures by visiting speakers are arranged; there are no resident clergy, but students are encouraged to attend their own church; no applicant is excluded because of race, religion or political allegiance. Many sports are catered for, but first aid and swimming are the only compulsory activities in the college. It provides rescue services covering 15 miles of the Bristol channel, and every student is given training for four hours per week in the first year, then becoming involved in the Beach Rescue Unit, Cliff Rescue, Inshore Rescue Boats, Social Services, Environment Development, or a specialist First Aid Unit. Similar colleges have been set up in various parts of the world, and more are planned. Other New Zealand students are expected to go to Canada shortly. The whole project is now vested in an international council under the presidency of Lord Mountbatten, who aroused interest in the colleges when he was in New Zealand recently for the British Commonwealth Ex-Services League Conference. New Zealand has been asked to send students each year, and those interested should write to The Secretary, New Zealand National Committee, United World Colleges, Box 5087, Wellington, for further information. We wish Mamae well as an ambassador for our country, and trust that she will enjoy her two years in Wales.