When you land in a new country with no family, everyone there becomes your family - Mrs Owen talks about living in New Zealand for six years.
Following your move to New Zealand, what was it like adapting to a new culture? It was a real shock! Because I had got my job offer on the Friday and flew on the Sunday. Then I landed in New Zealand on the Tuesday, because of the time difference, and on Wednesday I had to start work! Bearing in mind I'd never been to New Zealand, I'd never taught in a school before, they had a different curriculum...I was taken to meet my form and that was me in! So, I just remember sitting there with jet-lag and being introduced to everyone and it was quite intense! When my year eleven students left, they said, 'Miss, we were like, who is that English lady, she's terrible, she just sat there!' But I can still smell the smells of Wellington. I think all your senses are on overdrive when you end up somewhere new, and I can still smell the smells of summertime because we arrived in February. I've got such strong memories of the first few days because it was so intense landing somewhere new. Everything from then is ingrained on my memory. |
What was the most difficult part about leaving New Zealand to return to the UK?
I'll probably cry now! Well on my last day in my school (voice breaks) Oh! I will cry...
So, I was a head of year and Hutt Valley High School had been the most amazing school to me - my career had progressed, and they'd become my family over there really, because when you land in a new country with no family, everyone there becomes your family. Well, my year twelves, on my last day in my last assembly, they did the most amazing thing for me. I had no idea, but have you heard of the haka? Well, a haka is performed at special occasions and ceremonies, and I had no idea, but the boys and girls had been learning a new school haka in their culture club. They performed it, to me, on my last day! To see a haka is so special, if you ever go to the rugby or see a performance, but to have a haka performed to you is...out of this world. I can't even describe to you how incredible it was.
I'll probably cry now! Well on my last day in my school (voice breaks) Oh! I will cry...
So, I was a head of year and Hutt Valley High School had been the most amazing school to me - my career had progressed, and they'd become my family over there really, because when you land in a new country with no family, everyone there becomes your family. Well, my year twelves, on my last day in my last assembly, they did the most amazing thing for me. I had no idea, but have you heard of the haka? Well, a haka is performed at special occasions and ceremonies, and I had no idea, but the boys and girls had been learning a new school haka in their culture club. They performed it, to me, on my last day! To see a haka is so special, if you ever go to the rugby or see a performance, but to have a haka performed to you is...out of this world. I can't even describe to you how incredible it was.
What brought you back to England?
Good question. We had never gone out there to live for that long. We had gone for a year initially. I think in my head I thought yes, we will stay longer, because the first year there is really like being a sightseer for twelve months. But we really wanted to experience living somewhere else. And life sort of...happened and three years in, we were still there. And then we had our son, George. Having a baby in another country with no family from home there was extremely difficult and then you start thinking that they haven't seen their grandchild and things become more difficult. We had never planned to be out there forever, so it seemed the right time to return back home.
Good question. We had never gone out there to live for that long. We had gone for a year initially. I think in my head I thought yes, we will stay longer, because the first year there is really like being a sightseer for twelve months. But we really wanted to experience living somewhere else. And life sort of...happened and three years in, we were still there. And then we had our son, George. Having a baby in another country with no family from home there was extremely difficult and then you start thinking that they haven't seen their grandchild and things become more difficult. We had never planned to be out there forever, so it seemed the right time to return back home.
Are there any differences between people in England and people in New Zealand that really stood out to you?
Yes - Kiwi students are so loud! Honestly, there are no classes where it's quiet! They are really energetic, full of life, it is never quiet!
There isn't so much of a class system in New Zealand either - I mean, there must be people who are really rich and there are people living in poverty, but they don't have that same idea that we have in this country about possessions and status. People in New Zealand will have a car and they'll keep it until it's old; it doesn't matter about getting a new one. There doesn't seem to be the same sense of hierarchy over there.
Culture is really respected there too - the Māori culture is equal to the white European culture. It isn't without difficulty, but there is much more sense of a dual culture rather than the sense of one being dominant to the other.
Are there any misconceptions about New Zealand that you hear from other people?
One thing I did want to say is that I think everyone in England has this idyllic view of what living in New Zealand is like. As a teacher I was able to see some of the social issues that are present. They don't have free healthcare after the age of 14. There are a lot of drugs and social issues relating to that. They don't have the support of social services either - so when people ask why we came back, I don't think people always see the realities of what life can be like for people there. When you're away, you do realise how lucky we are to have the NHS, and to have free education; in New Zealand students have to buy their own school books and their own equipment, so some students are already set up to fail because they can't access things they need for school. Even our school, Hutt Valley High, was shut last year not just because of Covid but because the building had become rotten, so they've lost a whole block. People were getting really sick but they couldn't afford to fix it. So, there are lots of things about New Zealand that get hidden underneath the carpet of all the wonderful views that people see usually associate with it as a country.
Are there any major differences in the education system?
Yes! In New Zealand students do their exams in year eleven, twelve and thirteen, called NCA and it's a point system; each subject has points and each exam you sit has a certain number of points. When you get to your exams, students can choose not to sit that exam! So as a teacher, it's very tricky because you have taught all the material but they don't always sit your exams. So it's very different. I also taught tourism as a vocational course, and had children go off to work in DisneyWorld in Florida - so again, very different opportunities.
Yes - Kiwi students are so loud! Honestly, there are no classes where it's quiet! They are really energetic, full of life, it is never quiet!
There isn't so much of a class system in New Zealand either - I mean, there must be people who are really rich and there are people living in poverty, but they don't have that same idea that we have in this country about possessions and status. People in New Zealand will have a car and they'll keep it until it's old; it doesn't matter about getting a new one. There doesn't seem to be the same sense of hierarchy over there.
Culture is really respected there too - the Māori culture is equal to the white European culture. It isn't without difficulty, but there is much more sense of a dual culture rather than the sense of one being dominant to the other.
Are there any misconceptions about New Zealand that you hear from other people?
One thing I did want to say is that I think everyone in England has this idyllic view of what living in New Zealand is like. As a teacher I was able to see some of the social issues that are present. They don't have free healthcare after the age of 14. There are a lot of drugs and social issues relating to that. They don't have the support of social services either - so when people ask why we came back, I don't think people always see the realities of what life can be like for people there. When you're away, you do realise how lucky we are to have the NHS, and to have free education; in New Zealand students have to buy their own school books and their own equipment, so some students are already set up to fail because they can't access things they need for school. Even our school, Hutt Valley High, was shut last year not just because of Covid but because the building had become rotten, so they've lost a whole block. People were getting really sick but they couldn't afford to fix it. So, there are lots of things about New Zealand that get hidden underneath the carpet of all the wonderful views that people see usually associate with it as a country.
Are there any major differences in the education system?
Yes! In New Zealand students do their exams in year eleven, twelve and thirteen, called NCA and it's a point system; each subject has points and each exam you sit has a certain number of points. When you get to your exams, students can choose not to sit that exam! So as a teacher, it's very tricky because you have taught all the material but they don't always sit your exams. So it's very different. I also taught tourism as a vocational course, and had children go off to work in DisneyWorld in Florida - so again, very different opportunities.
Is there quite a global perspective in schools? Do people have high aspirations?
Yes. tourism is huge, but also vocational courses like plumbing and electrician work, and construction. They are more kitted out for vocational courses than anything else I think. I have a lot of ex-students who have their own businesses already, and have been successful. One has gone to America and has a business there. So they do want to travel - I think New Zealand feels quite small to people who live there, so they want to get out and travel and see places and build a life for themselves.
Are you still in touch with people from New Zealand?
Yes I am. I don't know if you've seen Miss Knights around school? She started working here in January, and she's come over from New Zealand. She was my head of department in my school and she's come over to the UK for a year. She is now employed here to do some cover, and she is living with us. She is godmother to our son. There is a really close bond, so to have her back in our lives and to be able to work with her again is incredible.
How would you describe the English attitude towards people from different countries?
I think it's such a mixed view. It's been really interesting talking this morning with my form about hosting Ukrainian refugees; it seems that if they could, everyone would want to help and that's been really lovely to see and hear students talking about that. I think there are a whole range of views in this country, a real mix.
If you had the choice would you go back to New Zealand?
Well, that's a tricky question. But I actually have my citizenship - we had our ceremony on the fifth anniversary of us landing in the country! To be welcomed as a member of a country, to be a Kiwi, to be a New Zealander, is incredible. I do feel that we could go back in the future. I have two lives! I have an amazing life that we created in New Zealand and I love living in Aylsham - I have two completely different lives and I would be happy living either!
Part of me is excited to see what my children do and where they will end up. I would quite like it if one of them was in that part of the world so we could do six months here and six months over there! I feel very lucky to have two countries that make up my identity.