What do you love most about school?

Lunchtime. Playing with my mates.

Reading, that’s my favourite subject.

What do you want to do when you grow up?

Become a professional rugby player. Go play for the Highlanders, then the All Blacks.

Is there anything you don’t like at school?

Maths. Yeah, not very good at maths.

What don’t you like about maths?

Well, the numbers.

Why is it important that kids go to school?

Get a better education. When they’re older, good jobs.

I do have days that I don’t wanna go to school, but mum, yeah, she makes me go to school.

(Interviewer) What you want to be when you grow up? 

(Student) Princess.  

(Interviewer) “A princess!” 

(Interviewer) What do you love most about coming to school each day? 

(Student) Umm I like drawing. 

(Interviewer) Drawing? What sort of things do you draw? 

(Student) Like mermaids and princesses 

(Interviewer) are there days when you don't want to come to school sometimes?  

(Student) Yeah. Because sometimes I get sick with little bugs in my throat.  

(Interviewer) Why is that exciting to learn writing letters? 

(Student) Because, if you don't learn then you won't get smarter. 

(Interviewer) Why do you want to learn and get smart? 

(Student) Because I want to know everything.

(Student) Currently, my biggest goal is getting into university. I think for me, I would be the only one in my family from both my mom's side and my dad's side to go to university. I do plan on studying international relations in law. So, the subjects that I take, for example English and History, they are really great backgrounds to fall back on. 

(Interviewer) Can you tell me about any of your favourite teachers, and what makes them your favourite teacher? 

(Student) One of my favourites has to be Miss Clarkson. In the nicest way to put it is that she's insane, she's crazy, she's bubbly, she's always full of energy. Whenever you in her maths class she has posters around the room of songs, so you learn equations through songs. 

(Interviewer) What advice would you give your 10-year-old self? 

(Student) That it's OK to flop, it's OK to make mistakes. Everything's a challenge. Everything is something that you can look back on and say I did that or I didn't do that well and how can I make it better? 

(Student) I really want harder mahi because all of it is just too easy. 

(Interviewer) What do you love about school? 

(Student) I love doing all the maths and getting hard equations all the time. Heaps of kids in kapa haka involved. 

(Interviewer) Have you performed anywhere? 

(Student) Last year we did this thing called Rā Whakangahau. We do heaps of melodies and hakas. You earn trophies and awards, presented in front of your parents and all of the schools that come to do it too. I enjoy how my teacher gives me hard work, and that we learn heaps of Māori. 

(Interviewer) What do you want to do when you grow up? 

(Student) I want to be like my dad. Start building, and then some construction. I want to be a kind leader, or a leader at kapa haka or your job. 

(Interviewer) Any role models who you kind of look up to and you'd like to be like? 

(Student) Ardie Savea, because I'm the number 8 and he's the number 8 for the All Blacks.